HD 


REPORT 


DOCU 
DEPT. 


OF  THE 


NIW  YORK  STATE  FOOD 
UJPPLY  COMMISSION 


UC-NRLF 


fl?S 


Organized  April  17,  1917,  Under  Chapter  205, 
Laws  of  1917 


ALBANY 

J.  B.  LYON  COMPANY,  PRINTERS 
1918 


AGRICTTT         TT^'^ 


DOCUMENTS 
DEPT. 


REPORT 


OF   THE 


NEW  YORK  STATE  FOOD 
SUPPLY  COMMISSION 


Organized  April  17,  1917,  Under  Chapter  205, 
Laws  of  1917 


ALBANY 

J.  B.  LYON  COMPANY,  PRINTERS 
1  918 


I 


NEW  YORK  STATE  FOOD  SUPPLY  COMMISSION 

Charles  S.  Wilson,  Albany,  Chairman, 

In  charge  of  Division  of  Administration. 
A.  R.  Mann,  Ithaca,  Secretary, 

In  charge  of  Division  of  Food  Conservation,   including 
Insect  and  Plant  Disease  Control  Service. 

M.  C.  Burritt,  Ithaca, 

In  charge  of  Division  of  County  Organization. 

J.  H.  Finley,  Albany, 

In  charge  of  Division  of  Schools  and  Colleges. 

J.  J.  Dillon,  Xew  York  City, 

In    charge    of    Division    of    Distribution,    Storage,    and 

Marketing. 
S.  J.  Lowell,  Fredonia, 

In  charge  of  Division  of  Loans  and  Farm  Lands. 

F.  W.  Sessions,  Utica, 

In  charge  of  Division  of  Farm  Labor. 

R.  D.  Cooper,  Little  Falls, 

In  charge  of  Division  of  Seeds,  Fertilizers,  and  Live  Stock. 
S.  J.  T.  Bush,  Morton, 

In  charge  of  Division  of  Transportation  and  Machinery. 
Dwight  Sanderson,  Albany,  Assistant  Secretary. 
Charles  Scott,  Albany,  Accountant. 


392597 


SOME  OF  THE  MORE  SIGNIFICANT  WCRK  OF  THE 
COMMISSION 

1.  In  response  to  the  proclamation  of  Governor  Whitman  for 
Agricultural  Mobilization  Day  on  Saturday.,  April  .21,  the  Com- 
mission arranged  for  meetings  which  were  held  in  1089   com- 
munities with  an  attendance  of  85,075  persons. 

2.  A  complete  census  of  the  agricultural  resources  of  the  State 
was  made  through  the  cooperation  of  the  state  school  system  -and 
the  county  farm  bureaus,  and  was  published  within  a  month.    This 
was  made  at  a  minimum  cost  and  furnished  a  basis  for  fhe  work 
and  recommendations  of  the  Commission. 

3.  Local  offices  with  representatives  in  charge  were  established 
in  fifty-six  counties;  thirty-seven  of  these  offices  had  assistant  rep- 
resentatives. 

4.  These  representatives  held  2436  farmers'  meetings  with  an 
attendance  of  112,378,  visited  19,361  farmers,  and  had  48,317 
office  calls. 

5.  The  county  offices  received  5940  applications  for  farm  help, 
of  which  4452  were  supplied. 

6.  Through  the  circulation  of  lists  of  seeds  and  live  .stock  for 
sale  by  farmers,  as  shown  by  the  agricultural  census,  sales  amount- 
ing to  hundreds  of  thousands  of  dollars  were  effected  by  direct 
purchase  between  farmers. 

7.  Over  1000  farm  laborers  were  sent  out  from  the  JSTew  York 
City  and  Albany  labor  offices  of  the  Commission. 

8.  The  number  of  boys  and  girls  released  from  school  for  service 
as  farm  cadets  under  the  supervision  of  the  State  Department  of 
Education  was  18,627. 

9.  Fifteen  farm  cadet  camps  were  established  to  determine  the 
practicability    of    such    a    system    of    supplying    farm    labor. 
Valuable  data  on  the  organization  and  conduct  of  such  camps  in 
future  were  obtained. 

10.  Women  have  been  placed  as  food  conservation  agents  in 
forty-three  counties  and  ten  cities  of  the  State ;  these  women  .give 
demonstrations,   make  personal  visits,   and  organize  community 
effort  in  the  preparation,  preservation,  and  conservation  of  food  in 
the  home.     This  work  is  done  in  cooperation  with  the  United 
States  Department  of  Agriculture  under  .a  recent  congressional 
appropriation,  and  is  supported  also  by  local  funds  and  organ- 
izations. 

11.  Thirty   teachers   of  home   economics  from   high   schools, 
normal  schools,   and  colleges,  have  done   similar  work  in   their 

respective  communities. 

[5] 


6 

12.  A  field  service  for  the  control  of  insect  pests  and  plant 
diseases  was  established  in  the  principal  potato,  fruit,  and  truck 
regions.    These  agents  made  3359  farm  calls. 

13.  These  field   agents  effected   organizations  for  cooperative 
spraying  of  potatoes  in  twenty-one  communities  involving  1092 
acres,   and  secured  spraying  of  more  than  4000   acres   by   500 
growers  who  had  not  been  spraying  properly;   also,  they 
many  spraying  demonstrations.     An  increase  of  from  25  to  50 
bushels  an  acre  over  normal  yields  in  unsprayed  fields  may  be 
expected  on  the  5100  acres  thus  sprayed. 

14.  Inspection  of  potatoes  for  seed  was  applied  for  by  523 
growers,   of   whom   only    187   had   fields   sufficiently   free   from 
disease  and  varietal  mixtures  to  warrant   a  second  inspection, 
which  will  involve  approximately  1870  acres.     This  inspection 
will  increase  the  available  stock  of  high-grade  seed  for  use  in  1918. 

15.  Fruit  growers  were  warned  of  possible  outbreaks  of  insect 
pests   and  plant  diseases,   and  systems  of  telephone  service  by 
relays  were  established  so  that  the  growers  were  notified  when- 
ever weather  conditions  made  immediate  spraying  necessary  for 
the  control  of  plant  diseases. 

16.  An  information  service  for  reporting  outbreaks  of  insect 
pests  was  established,  and  weekly  reports  from  over  one  hundred 
correspondents  were  circulated  for  fifteen  weeks. 

17.  The  Commission  investigated  the  processes  for  dehydrat- 
ing fruits  and  vegetables,  and  published  this  information. 

18.  Assistance  has  been  given  to  several  cities  in  the  establish- 
ment of  curb  markets. 

19.  Food  clubs  for  the  purchase  of  produce  directly  by  small 
groups  of  consumers  have  been  organized  in  Xew  York  City. 

20.  Cooperative  organizations  of  potato  growers  for  the  better 
marketing  of  their  crop  have  been  effected  in  several  counties, 
and  others  are  being  formed. 

21.  Farm  loan  committees  have  been  appointed  in  939  local 
granges,  on  whose  recommendations  the  Patriotic  Farmers'  Fund 
placed  loans  to  farmers  aggregating  $300.000. 

22.  Interest  in  better  credit  facilities  for  Xew  York  farmers 
has  been  stimulated  by  conference  with  the  Federal  and  State 
Land  Banks  and  the  State  Bankers'  Association. 

23.  Hundreds  of  transportation  complaints  made  by  farmers 
have  been  adjusted  through  the  cordial  cooperation  of  the  rail- 
roads,  and   embargoes  on   agricultural  machinery   and   supplies 


have  been  raised  at  the  request  of  the  Commission  to  the  Ameri- 
can Railway  Association. 

24.  Forty-two  tractors  have  been  lent  to  as  many  communities 
in  twenty-three  counties  of  the  State,  and  will  plow  from  2500 
to  3000  acres  of  grain  land  this  fall. 

25.  Three  tractor  ditchers  have  been  lent  to  farmers'  organi- 
zations which  have  contracts  for  12,000  rods  of  ditching  for  tile 
drainage. 

26.  The  Commission,  or  its  representatives,  distributed  84,735 
bushels  of  seed  potatoes  and  39,352  bushels  of  buckwheat  seed. 

27.  The  Commission  placed  in  the  potato  counties  of  the  State 
twelve  traction  power  potato  sprayers  which  have  sprayed  776 
acres  from  one  to  four  times,  on  141  farms. 

28.  Campaigns   have   been   conducted   for  the   elimination   of 
nonproductive  hens  in  fourteen  counties  of  the  State,  and  are 
now  in  progress  in  other  counties.     This  selection  will  result  in 
saving  thousands  of  dollars'  worth  of  grain  feeds,  and  in  greatly 
increasing  production  at  lower  cost  in  the  selected  flocks  during 
the  coming  year. 

29.  The   Commission  supervised  the  first   campaign  in  New 
York   State   for   obtaining   housewives'   pledges   to   the  Federal 
Food  Administration. 

30.  A  Food  Training  Camp  exhibit,  one  of  the  most  valuable 
features  of  the  State  Fair  at  Syracuse,  demonstrated  the  recom- 
mendations of  the  Federal  Food  Administration. 

The  Inception  of  the  Commission 

On  Friday,  April  6,  1917,  the  State  Commissioner  of  Agricul- 
ture, Charles  S.  Wilson,  called  into  conference  at  Syracuse  repre- 
sentatives of  the  farmers  and  the  farm  interests  of  the  State,  to 
consider  what  steps  should  be  taken  to  bring  crop  production  to 
its  maximum  and  to  meet  the  demands  of  the  war  crisis. 

This  conference  adopted  resolutions  (see  Appendix  A,  page 
131)  which  were  transmitted  to  the  Governor  of  the  State  of 
'New  York,  to  the  Federal  Secretaries  of  Agriculture,  War,  and 
the  Navy,  and  to  the  chairmen  of  the  Committees  on  Agricul- 
ture and  Military  Affairs  in  the  National  Congress. 

On  Monday,  April  9,  at  the  call  of  the  Secretary  of  Agri- 
culture, Honorable  D.  F.  Houston,  there  assembled  at  St.  Louis, 
Missouri,  a  conference  of  representatives  of  State  Departments 
of  Agriculture,  of  the  agricultural  colleges  from  thirty-two  States, 
and  of  the  United  States  Department  of  Agriculture,  "  to  discuss 
the  agricultural  situation  in  the  present  national  crisis."  Among 


other  recommendations  made  by  this  conference  was  one  that 
there  be  established  "  a  small  central  agricultural  body  in  each 
State  representing  various  agricultural  interests,  including  agri- 
cultural officials,  representatives  oi?  agricultural  colleges,  bankers, 
business,  farmers',  and  women's  organizations,  etc.,  concern* 
in  the  production,  distribution,  and  utilization  of  food  supplies 
and  agricultural  raw  materials.  This  body  .should  be  designate 
by  the  governor  and,  if  the  State  has  a  central  council  of  saf e1 
or  defense,  should  be  coordinated  with  it." 

The  Xew  York  delegates  to  this  conference  reported  its  recom- 
mendations to  the  officers  of  the  agricultural  organizations  of 
the  State,  who  at  once  brought  them  to  the  attention  of  Governor 
Whitman,  from  whom  they  received  a  most  cordial  response. 

Organization  of  the  Commission 

On  the  afternoon  of  April  13,  1917,  Governor  Charles  S.  Whit- 
man appointed  the  following  persons  to  constitute  a  Patriotic 
Agricultural  Service  Committee: 
C.  S.  Wilson,  Chairman.  .       Commissioner  of  Agriculture. 

J.  H.  Finley Commissioner  of  Education. 

A.  I\.  Mann Acting  Dean,  ^Tew  York  State  Col- 
lege of  Agriculture. 

J.   J.   Dillon State    Commissioner    of   Poods   and 

Markets. 

M.  C.  Burritt State  Director  of  Farm  Bureaus 

S.  J.  T.  Bush President,  Western  ¥ew  York  Horti- 
cultural Society. 

S.  J.  Lowell Master,    State    Grange,    Patrons    of 

Husbandry. 

F.  W.  Sessions President,    Xrw    York    State    Agri- 
cultural Society. 
R.  D.  Cooper President,  Dairymen's  League. 

Governor  Whitman  stated  that  he  would  recommend  to  the- 
Legislature  that  an.  appropriation  bo  placed  at  the  disposal  of 
this  Committee  to  take  such  steps  as  might  be  necessary  to  insure 
an  adequate  food  supply  during  the  stress  of  war. 

The  Committee  held  its  first  meeting  on  the  same  day,  and  made 
preliminary  arrangements  for  taking  an  aorieuHiral  cpneu?  of 
the  State,  and  also  arranged  for  a  state-wide  conference  of  repre- 
sentatives of  the  agricultural  interests  of  the  State  to  be  held  at 
Ithaca  on  Monday,  April  16.  On  April  14  Governor  Whitman 
issued  the  following  proclamation : 


PROCLAMATION 


of 

HLwutiu?  GUjamtor 


fork 


To  the  People  of  the  State  of  New  York: 

Whereas,  The  maintenance  of  an  adequate  food  supply  is  absolutely  essential  to 
National  preparedness;  and 

Whereas,  The  people  of  this  State  and  of  the  United  States  have  cause  for  grave  con- 
cern,  owing  to  the  serious  depletion  of  the  food  reserves  of  the  world  through  the  past 
year's  shortage  of  crops,  increased  demands  from  warring  countries,  and  the  fact  that  there 
is  little  promise  of  abundant  winter  grain  crops;  and 

Whereas,  It  is  clearly  recognized  that  the  man  who  tills  the  soil  and  produces  the 
food  for  the  soldier  in  the  field  and  his  family  at  home  is  rendering  a  patriotic  service,  as 
truly  as  is  the  man  who  bears  the  brunt  of  battle,  and  that,  therefore,  in  the  present  crisis, 
a  peculiar  responsibility  rests  upon  the  American  farmer;  and 

Whereas,  There  is  imperative  need  that  the  farmers  of  New  York  State  shall  fully 
realize  the  necessity  for  the  largest  possible  production  of  farm  products  during  the 
present  year, 

Now,  Therefore,  I,  Charles  S.  Whitman,  Governor  of  the  State  of  New  York,  do 
hereby  set  aside  Saturday,  April  twenty-first,  in  all  the  farming  communities  of  the  State,  as 

Agricultural  Mobilization  Day 

On  this  day  farmers  are  urged  to  assemble  in  their  respective  communities,  through 
their  organizations,  to  hear  reports  on  the  present  situation  and  to  make  definite  plans  for 
meeting,  locally,  the  greatest  food  production  problems  that  they  have  evec  been  called 
upon  to  solve;  and  I  do  hereby  appeal  to  the  farmers  of  New  York  to  recognize  their 
responsibility  and  their  duty  to  safeguard  the  welfare  of  the  Nation  in  this  crisis,  and  I 
urge  all  agricultural  organizations,  societies  and  institutions  to  lend  their  aid  in  assembling 
farmers  for  these  purposes  on  the  above-designated  day. 

In  Witness  Whereof,  I  have  hereto  signed  my  name 
and   affixed  the  Privy  Seal  of  the  State  at  the 

[L.  S.)  Capitol  in  the  city  of  Albany  this  fourteenth  day 

of  April  in  the  year  of  our  Lord  one  thousand 
nine  hundred  and  seventeen. 

(Signed)  CHARLES  S.  WHITMAN. 

By  the  Governor: 

WILLIAM  A.  ORR, 

Secretory  to  the  Governor. 

[9] 


10 

Commissioner  Lowell  at  once  telegraphed  the  Master  of  every 
subordinate  grange  in  the  State,  requesting  that  meetings  be 
•arranged  for  the  evening  of  Saturday,  April  21,  to  discuss  the 
food  situation;  and,  through  the  county  farm  bureau  managers, 
other  community  meetings  were  arranged  for  that  day  in  accord- 
ance with  the  Governor's  proclamation.  Patriotic  meetings  were 
held  in  1089  communities  on  Saturday,  April  21,  attended  by 
85,075  persons. 

As  a  result  of  the  conference  of  representatives  of  the  agri- 
cultural interests  of  fifty-eight  counties  of  the  State  held  at  Ithaca 
on  April  16,  the  Committee  prepared  and  published  a  statement 
of  policy  with  regard  to  crop  production,  which  wras  issued  as  a 
bulletin  and  given  wide  circulation.  As  this  bulletin  outlined  the 
general  policy  which  the  Committee  had  pursued,  it  is  reprinted 
in  this  report  as  Appendix  B  (page  133). 

The  Committee  met  at  Ithaca  on  April  16  and  17,  and  formally 
organized  by  adopting  as  its  name  "  The  Patriotic  Agricultural 
Service  Committee,"  and  by  electing  Acting  Dean  A.  R.  Mann, 
of  the  State  College  of  Agriculture,  as  Secretary.  Forms  for 
taking  the  agricultural  census  of  the  State  were  approved  and 
their  printing  was  authorized  (see  Appendix  C,  page  -  — ), 
At  this  meeting  various  members  of  the  Committee  were  author- 
ized to  proceed  with  different  phases  of  its  work,  which  were 
subsequently  organized  as  separate  divisions.  Further  details 
of  the  organization  appear  in  the  reports  of  the  respective 
divisions. 

On  April  17,  at  the  request  of  Governor  Whitman,  an  Act 
creating  the  Food  Supply  Commission  was  introduced  and  passed 
by  both  Houses  of  the  Legislature  and  was  approved  by  the 
Governor.  This  Act  was  subsequently  amended  by  Chapter  506, 
Laws  of  1917,  approved  by  the  Governor  on  May  16,  which 
amended  Section  3  so  .that  the  Commission  might  establish  a 
revolving  fund  under  the  funds  appropriated  to  it.  The  Act 
follows : 

THE     ACT     CREATING     THE     NEW     YORK     STATE     FOOD     SUPPLY 

COMMISSION 

Chapter  205,  Laws  1917 

(Approved  by  the  Governor,  April  17,  1917) 
AX  ACT  to  provide  for  assuring  an  adequate  food  supply  and  for  promoting 

the  production  thereof,  and  making  an  appropriation  therefor. 
Section  1.  A  commission  is  hereby  created,  for  the  purposes  of  this  act,  to 
consist  of  the  commissioner  of  agriculture,  the  commissioner  of  education,  the 
dean  of  tlie  New  York  State  College  of  Agriculture,  the  state  director  of  farm 


11 

bureaus,  the  commissioner  of  foods  and  markets,  and  four  other  members, 
who  shall  be  appointed  by  the  governor.  The  commissioner  of  agriculture 
shall  be  chairman  of  the  commission.  The  members  of  such  commission 
shall  receive  no  compensation  for  the  performance  of  their  duties  under  this 
act,  but  shall  be  paid  their  actual  and  necessary  expenses  incurred  in  connec- 
tion therewith. 

The  commission  shall  have  the  power,  and  it  shall  be  the  object 
and  purpose  of  the  commission,  to  adopt  all  necessary  measures  to 
assure  an  adequate  food  supply  in  the  state  and  to  promote  the  production 
of  such  supply,  by  co-operating  with  the  state  department  of  agriculture,  the 
state  department  of  education,  other  state  departments  and  commissions,  the 
State  College  of  Agriculture  and  other  state  institutions,  and  the  various 
farm  bureaus  and  official  and  unofficial  organizations.  Moneys  used  in  aiding 
the  functions  of  a  state  department,  commission  or  institution,  shall  be 
applied  in  accordance  with  laws  governing  the  exercise  of  such  functions. 
Within  the  amount  of  moneys  appropriated,  the  commission  may  employ  such 
assistants  as  may  be  necessary,  and,  if  so  directed  by  the  commission  with 
the  approval  of  the  governor,  additional  assistants  may  be  employed  by  any 
state  department,  commission  or  institution  for  carrying  out  the  provisions 
of  this  act.  By  reason  of  the  emergency  which  occasions  the  enactment  of 
this  statute,  all  assistants  employed  under  this  act  shall  be  exempt  from 
civil  service  examinations,  rules  and  regulations. 

§  2.  The  commission  may,  if  in  its  judgment  the  public  interest  requires, 
buy  and  distribute  at  cost  seed  for  staple  productions  in  any  section  of  the 
state  and  may  accept  loans  from  private  corporations  or  individuals  for  the 
same  purpose.  It  may  also  act  as  the  agent  for  any  voluntary  organization 
to  distribute  seed  or  otherwise  stimulate  agricultural  production  or  co-operate 
with  such  organization  or  organizations  for  that  purpose. 

§  3.  [As  amended  by  Chapter  506,  Laws  1917.  Approved  by  the  Governor, 
May  16,  1917.]  The  sum  of  five  hundred  thousand  dollars,  or  so  much 
thereof  as  may  be  necessary,  is  hereby  appropriated  out  of  any  moneys  in 
the  state  treasury  not  otherwise  appropriated,  to  carry  out  the  provisions 
of  this  act.  Such  money  shall  be  paid  to  the  commission  or  to  its  order  by 
the  state  treasurer  from  time  to  time  on  the  warrant  of  the  comptroller, 
upon  requisition  signed  by  the  chairman  of  such  commission  and  the 
governor. 

The  comptroller  is  hereby  authorized  and  directed  to  advance  to  said 
commission  for  use  in  making  purchases  for  sale  and  distribution,  as  provided 
in  section  two  hereof,  such  sum  of  money  as  said  commission  may  require 
and  request,  not  to  exceed  one-fifth  of  the  amount  appropriated  herein.  The 
said  commission  is  hereby  authorized  to  use  such  money  in  making  such 
purchases  and  to  use  the  money  received  from  sales  of  goods  so  purchased 
in  making  further  purchases  of  the  kind  provided  in  section  two  for  resale, 
but  such  purchases  shall  be  approved  by  the  comptroller.  The  provisions  of 
section  thirty-seven  of  the  finance  law  requiring  the  payment  of  moneys  into 
the  state  treasury  on  or  before  the  fifth  day  of  each  month  shall  not  apply 
to  money  received1  by  the  commission  from  the  sales  of  goods  purchased  as 
provided  herein. 

On  or  before  September  first  and  December  thirty-first,  each  year,  until 
the  close  of  the  present  war,  the  commission  shall  make  a  verified  report  to 
the  comptroller  of  the  disbursements  made  by  it  to  such  date.  The  com- 
mission shall  expire  at  the  close  of  such  war  or  at  such  earlier  time  as  the 
legislature  shall  determine. 

§  4.  This  act  shall  take  effect  immediately. 

The  Committee  held  its  first  meeting,  under  the  provisions  of 
this  act,  at  the  State  Department  of  Agriculture  at  Albany  on 
April  23,  and  continued  in  session  through  April  25.  The  Com- 
mission organized  its  work  by  establishing  nine  divisions,  as 


12 

follows,  in  charge  of  the  respective  Commissioners,  and  estab- 
lished its  central  office  at  the  Department  of  Agriculture  in 
Albany : 

Division  of  Administration,  in  charge  of  Commissioner  C.  S.  Wilson. 

Division  of  Food  Conservation,  including  Insect  and  Plant  Disease  Control 
Service,  in  charge  of  Commissioner  A.  R  Mann. 

Division  of  County  Organization,  in  charge  of  Commissioner  M.  C.  Burritt. 

Division  of  Schools  and  Colleges,  in  charge  of  Commissioner  J.  H.  Finley. 

Division  of  Distribution,  Storage,  and  Marketing,  in  charge  of  Commissioner 
J.  J.  Dillon. 

Division  of  Loans  and  Farm  Lands,  in  charge  of  Commissioner  S-  J.  Lowell. 

Division  of  Farm  Labor,  in  charge  of  Commissioner  F.  W.  Sessions. 

Division  of  Seeds,  Fertilizers,  and  Live  Stock,  in  charge  of  Commissioner 
R.  D.  Cooper. 

Division  of  Transportation  and  Machinery,  in  charge  of  Commissioner 
S.  J.  T.  Bush. 

Subsequently  Dwiglit  Sanderson,  formerly  Dean  of  the  West 
Virginia  College  of  Agriculture,  was  engaged  as  assistant  secretary 
and  acting  executive  secretary  of  the  Commission.  In  this 
position  he  showed  large  capacity,  and  he  was  painstaking  and 
tireless  in  the  work  of  the  Commission.. 

Arrangements  had  previously  been  made  whereby  the  managers 
of  the  county  farm  bureaus  in  the  forty-one  counties  then  organ- 
ized should  act  as  the  county  representatives  of  the  Commission, 
and  special  representatives  of  the  Commission,  in  charge  of 
DiTeetor  Burritt,  should  be  placed  in  each  of  the  other  fifteen 
agricultural  counties  of  the  State. 

After  a  thorough  consideration  of  numerous  plans  proposed  to 
it  by  representatives  of  various  agricultural  and  commercial 
interests  with  regard  to  the  organization  of  a  supply  of  farm  labor, 
the  Commission  prepared  the  following  statement  with  regard  to 
farm  labor,  which  was  given  out  for  publication  to  the  press  of 
the  State : 

In  view  of  the  many  efforts  being  made  by  organizations  of  all  sorts  to 
enlist  persona  for  farm  labor,  the  Patriotic  Agricultural  Service  Committee 
announces  that  the  present  situation  does  not  call  for  the  immediate  employ- 
ment of:  women  as  farm  hands,  nor  considerable  numbers  of  men  and  boys 
from  the  cities  without  farm  experience.  Farming  is  an  occupation  requiring 
special  skill.  The  immediate  need  of  farmers  is  for  boys  and  men  who  have 
had  farm  experience  and  whor-  can  be  immediately  useful  on  thje  farms.  Such, 
help  must  be  found  largely  among  schools,  colleges,  and  industrial  or  other 
pursuits  in  which  persons  who  have  recently  come  from  the  farms  are  engaged, 
among  retired  farmers,  and  in  various  occupations  in  country  towns. 

The  Committee  feels  warranted,  in  view  of  the  food  interests  of  the  nation 
in  this  crisis,  in  making  an  urgent  appeal  to  boys  and  men  everywhere  who 
have  had  farm  experience  to  volunteer  for  farm  work.  Industrial  and  com- 
mercial concerns  employing  such  help  are  urged  to  make  possible  and  to 
encourage  the  release  of  all  such  persons. 

There  will  be  need  later  for  untrained  boys,  men,  and  women  in  the  har- 
vesting of  crops,  and  the  mobilization  of  city  labor  for  the  farms  should  be 


13 

directed  toward  this  end.  The  Patriotic  Agricultural  Service  Committee 
urges  all  organizations  attempting  to  mobilize  farm  labor  to  work  through 
the  Committee,,  so  as  to  avoid  duplication  and  wasted  effort. 

The  -Committee  further  calls  attention  to  the  great  need  for  reliable  women 
for  work  in  the  farmhouses.  Many  farmers  will  be  unable  to  engage  more 
help  on  the  farm  unless,  at  the  same  time,  they  can  engage  additional  help 
in  the  home. 

The  Commission  also  voted  to  accept  the  cooperation  of  the  Mil- 
itary Training  Commission,  and  to  authorize  the  employment  of 
an  executive  secretary  in  each  of  the  six  zones  established  by  it, 
through  which  the  sources  of  supply  of  boy  labor  might  be  brought 
into  touch  with  the  county  representatives  of  the  Commission,  who 
would  arrange  for  its  distribution. 

A  poster  setting  forth  the  work  of  the  Commission  was  approved 
and  ordered  distributed  as  widely  as  possible. 

In  order  to  better  articulate  its  work  with  the  county  home 
defense  committees,  the  Commission  recommended  to  them  that 
the  executive  committees  of  the  county  farm  bureau  association, 
where  organized,  be  the  agricultural  committees  of  the  county 
home  defense  committees  in  charge  of  plans  for  increasing  and 
conserving  the  food  supply.  It  was  suggested  that  in  counties  not 
having  organized  farm  bureaus,  the  agricultural  committees  be 
appointed  in  cooperation  with  the  grange. 

The  Pomona  Grange  in  each  county  was  asked  to  designate  one 
of  its  number  to  act  on  the  Advisory  Council  to  the  Patriotic  Agri- 
cultural Service  Committee,  in  order  that  the  Committee  might 
keep  in  close  touch  with  the  farmers  in  the  State  and  get  their 
suggestions  and  experience  as  to  the  best  means  of  increasing  and 
conserving  the  food  supply.  Various  matters  of  policy  have  been 
submitted  by  -mail  to  a  referendum  vote  of  this  council,  which  lias 
thus  served  the  purposes  for  which  it  was  organized. 

At  its  meeting  on  April  25,  the  Commission  called  on  Governor 
Whitman  and  outlined  to  him  its  plans  of  work.  The  Commission 
recommended,  and  the  Governor  approved,  that  the  name  be 
changed  to  "  The  New  York  State  Pood  Supply  Commission," 
with  the  subtitle  "  for  Patriotic  Agricultural  Service." 

At  this  meeting  the  Commission  authorized  the  purchase  of  seed 
potatoes,  for  distribution  at  cost  through  its  county  representa- 
tives and  through  other  agricultural  organizations.  It  also  voted 
to  purchase  farm  tractors,  to  be  lent  to  county  farm  bureaus  and 
other  responsible  organizations  of  farmers  under  suitable  contracts, 
for  the  purpose  of  increasing  the  acreage  of  plowing  and  planting 
and  to  determine  the  feasibility  of  such  aid  by  the  State. 


14 

The  question  having  arisen  as  to  the  relation  of  the  Commission 
to  various  state  institutions  and  departments  with  which  the  law 
authorized  it  to  cooperate  in  regard  to  the  payment  of  expenses 
incurred,  the  Commission  denned  its  policy  by  the  following  reso- 
lution: "  Resolved,  That  it  is  the  judgment  of  the  members  of  the 
Commission  that  it  is  authorized  to  employ  the  organizations  of 
state  departments  and  institutions  to  execute  the  work  devised  by 
the  Commission  for  the  production,  conservation,  and  distribution 
of  food,  and  to  repay  the  departments  and  institutions  for  the 
expenses  incurred  in  the  service  rendered  in  the  execution  of  such 
work;  but  that  the  Commission  has  not  the  authority  to  convert 
any  of  its  appropriation  to  defray  other  expenses  of  state  depart- 
ments or  institutions.'7 

PROCEEDINGS  OF  THE  COMMISSION 

The  following  summary  records  the  more  important  proceed- 
ings and  minutes  of  the  Commission,  exclusive  of  routine  business, 
which  consisted  largely  of  reports  from  each  Commissioner  as  to 
the  work  of  his  division,  and  of  general  discussions.  These  dis- 
cussions involved  the  consideration  of  the  projects  of  work  of  the 
various  divisions  of  the  Commission,  the  results  of  which  are  more 
fully  described  below  under  their  respective  headings. 

i  ORGANIZING  FARM  LABOR,  MAY  3 

The  meeting  held  by  the  Commission  at  Albany  on  May  3  was 
devoted  to  its  policy  as  to  the  best  method  of  organizing  its  efforts 
for  helping  to  supply  farm  labor.  Various  plans  which  had  been 
proposed  to  it,  particularly  that  of  requesting  manufacturers  to 
release  their  labor  for  a  short  period  for  farm  work  and  to 
encourage  their  employees  to  spend  their  vacations  in  working  on 
farms,  were  carefully  considered  in  the  light  of  opinions  which 
had  been  obtained  from  members  of  the  Advisory  Council  through 
a  referendum  letter.  The  Commission  was  advised  concerning  the 
plans  for  mobilization  of  farm  labor  recommended  by  the  United 
States  Department  of  Agriculture  through  Mr.  E.  H.  Thompson, 
of  the  Office  of  Farm  Management  of  that  Department,  who  sub- 
mitted to  the  Commission  a  carefully  prepared  plan  for  the  distri- 
bution of  farm  labor.  As  a  result  the  Commission  adopted  the 
following  statement  of  its  policy  on  this  matter : 

THE    FARM    LABOR    PROBLEM 

The  New  York  State  Food  Supply  Commission,  in  recognizing  the  farm 
labor  problem  as  one  of  immediate  importance,  desires  to  point  out  that  it 
has  two  distinct  phases:  (1)  Supply,  (2)  Demand.  The  solution  depends 


15 

upon  bringing  the  two  together  quickly  and  intelligently.  As  a  means  of 
doing  this  the  Commission  submits  the  following  labor  program: 

The  farm  labor  needs.  The  Commission  has  already  available  complete  and 
accurate  information  concerning  the  individual  needs  of  farmers  throughout 
the  State.  Any  duplication  of  this  work  would  be  both  unnecessary  and 
confusing. 

Organization  for  placing  labor.  Organization  has  been  established  by  the 
Commission  in  every  county,  and  this  organization  is  being  extended  to  the 
local  communities  in  each  county,  to  place  the  available  competent  help  on 
the  farms  needing  it. 

Sources  of  labor  supply.  There  is  in  every  rural  community  a  reserve 
source  of  experienced  farm  help  which  provides  the  most  available,  economical, 
and  efficient  supply  of  farm  labor.  The  Commission  will  utilize  this  primary 
source  to  the  fullest  possible  extent  on  the  neighboring  farms. 

When  the  local  supply  of  farm  labor  is  fully  employed,  the  Commission 
will  draw  on  the  reserves  of  properly  qualified  labor  in  the  larger  com- 
munities. 

If  the  local  demands  cannot  be  fully  supplied  from  these  sources,  the  Com- 
mission will  draw  upon  the  available  qualified  labor  in  the  cities. 

It  is  believed  that  this  plan  of  utilizing  the  nearest  and  local  sources  of 
supply  first,  and  drawing  on  the  more  distant  and  less  qualified  sources  only 
when  the  local  reserves  are  exhausted,  will  give  the  maximum  efficiency. 

Cooperation  with  other  agencies.  The  New  York  State  Food  Supply  Com- 
mission is  working  in  conjunction  with  the  New  York  State  Industrial  Com- 
mission, and  it  is  desirable  that  all  local  state  committees  and  organizations 
coordinate  their  activities  with  that  of  the  State  Commission  under  its  plan 
and  in  cooperation  with  its  organization.  This  plan  has  been  developed  with 
a  view  to  the  greatest  economy  and  efficiency  in  the  movement  and  use  of 
labor  —  employing  men  locally  where  their  experience  and  familiarity  with 
local  work  makes  them  most  helpful. 

The  Commission  invites  and  welcomes  the  cooperation  of  all  agencies,  in 
city  and  country,  which  are  seeking  to  mobilize  farm  labor.  It  cannot  be  too 
strongly  emphasized  that  the  labor  situation  is  one  of  the  most  serious 
problems  confronting  the  nation.  At  the  same  time  it  is  to  be  recognized 
that  farming  is  an  occupation  requiring  skill  and  that  only  a  limited  amount 
of  unskilled  help  can  be  used.  Such  help  will  be  most  serviceable  in  harvest 
time,  especially  in  such  work  as  gathering  berries  and  other  small  fruits. 
The  best  interests  of  the  State  will  be  served  if  all  voluntary  bodies  endeavor- 
ing to  mobilize  farm  labor  will  cooperate  with  the  New  York  State  Food 
Supply  Commission  appointed  for  this  and  other  purposes. 

Voluntary  agencies  can  render  their  chief  service  by  discovering  sources 
of  qualified, labor  and  making  a  complete  index  of  persons  offering  themselves 
for  employment  on  farms.  The  New  York  State  Food  Supply  Commission 
will  furnish  uniform  farm  labor  enrollment  blanks  to  any  cooperative  organi- 
zation for  this  purpose. 

As  the  matter  of  the  relation  of  the  county  representatives  of 
the  Commission  to  the  county  home  defense  committees,  and  the 
relation  of  the  work  of  the  Commission  to  other  organizations 
working  for  the  same  ends,  seemed  to  require  clearer  definition,  the 
Commission  adopted  the  following  resolution  defining  its  attitude : 

The  New  York  State  Food  Supply  Commission  interprets  the  law  under 
which  it  has  been  cheated,  to  imply  that  no  previous  organization  existed  with 
sufficient  scope  and  authority  to  effect  the  adequate  promotion  of  the  produc- 
tion, conservation,  and  economic  distribution  of  food  products  in  the  State 
under  the  present  emergency  conditions,  and  that  it  was  created  with  a  view 


16 

of  utilizing  and  coordinating  the  official  and  unofficial  organizations  of  the 
State  able  to  render  service  in  this  field  under  one  recognized  directing 
authority. 

The  Commission  interprets  the  law  to  mean  that  it  may  and  should  employ 
the  organizations  of  the  different  state  departments,  state  institutions,  and 
volunteer  bodies  in  the  State,  to  further  and  promote  the  purposes  for  which 
the  Commission  has  been  created.  Therefore  it  invites  the  cooperation  and 
assistance  of  all  the  official  and  volunteer  organizations  of  the  State  to 
further  the  work  of  increasing  and  conserving  and  distributing  food  products. 

When  any  state  department  or  institution  consents  to  undertake  a  piece 
of  work  in  its  field  for  the  Commission,  it  places  itself  under  the  jurisdiction 
of  the  Commission  in  so  far  as  this  particular  work  is  concerned,  and  to  that 
extent  it  subjects  itself  to  the  general  direction  of  the  Commission. 

The  Commission  has  provided  state,  county,  and  local  organizations  for 
executing  this  work,  and  it  invites  other  county  and  local  organizations  and 
committees  to  contribute  their  quota  of  work  to  the  general  cause  through 
this  organization. 

Before  the  adjournment  of  the  Commission  on  May  4,  it  was 
advised  of  the  passage  of  Chapter  369,  Laws  of  1917,  creat.ing  the 
State  Council  of  Defense,  which  assumed  supervision  of  the  work 
of  the  Food  Supply  Commission  under  the  terms  of  the  Act.  The 
Commission  voted  that  the  Governor  be  requested  to  appoint  one 
of  its  members  as  a  member  of  the  State  Council  of  Defense, 
and  subsequently  he  named  the  chairman  of  the  Commission  as 
one  of  its  members. 

POULTRY  CAMPAIGN  AND   OTHER  MATTERS,  MAY   10 

At  the  meeting  of  the  Commission  held  at  Albany  on  May  10, 
the  New  York  State  Federation  of  Poultry  Associations  presented 
a  plan  for  an  educational  campaign  on  the  conservation  of  the 
poultry  industry.  This  plan,  was  approved  at  a  subsequent 
meeting. 

The  Commission  authorized  the  purchase  of  buckwheat  and 
other  seed,  to  be  distributed  at  cost  in  the  same  manner  in  which 
the  potato  seed  had  been  sold  through  its  county  representatives, 
and  authorized  an  investigation  of  the  sources  of  supply  of  feeds 
for  live  stock  to  determine  what  steps  might  be  taken  to  secure 
an  adequate  supply  at  a  lower  cost. 

Detailed  plans  for  the  employment  of  field  agents  for  insect 
and  disease  control,  and  for  employing  women  as  food  conserva- 
tion agents  in  the  counties  and  cities  of  the  State  in  cooperation 
with  the  States  Relations  Service  of  the  United  States  Department 
of  Agriculture,  were  presented  by  Dean  Mann,  and  the  budget  for 
these  purposes  was  approved. 

It  was  also  voted  that  the  Commission  purchase  two  traction 
ditchers  (later  increased  to  three)  for  use  in  tiling  wet  lands,  this 


17 

work  being  undertaken  as  a  demonstration  of  the  possibility  of 
increasing  the  amount  of  land  available  for  farm  crops  by  tile 
drainage. 

AGRICULTURAL   CENSUS,  MAY  21 

At  its  meeting  held  in  Albany  on  May  21,  the  Commission 
approved  the  manuscript  of  the  agricultural  census  which  had  been 
compiled  under  the  direction  of  Commissioner  Burritt  and  Pro- 
fessor G.  F.  Warren,  of  the  "New  York  State  College  of  Agricul- 
ture, and  its  publication  was  authorized.  (This  was  published  as 
Bulletin  2,  A  Preliminary  Report  of  the  Census  of  the  Agricul- 
tural Resources  of  New  York  State,  in  an  edition  of  250,000 
copies,  and  was  distributed  to  all  farmers  throughout  the  State 
through  the  public  schools  and  the  county  farm  bureaus.) 

It  was  also  voted  that  the  Commission  should  pay  for  the  leader- 
ship of  farm  cadet  camps,  and  should  undertake  an  investigation 
of  the  practicability  and  the  economic  value  of  such  camps  as  a 
source  of  farm  labor. 

STATE  CONFERENCE,  JUNE  12 

At  the  meeting  held  at  Albany  on  June  12,  the  Commission 
arranged  to  hold  its  next  meeting  at  Syracuse  on  July  5  and  6, 
and  at  that  time  to  call  a  conference  of  the  agricultural  interests  of 
the  State  similar  to  that  held  at  Ithaca  on  April  16  to  outline  a 
definite  program  for  guiding  its  work  in  encouraging  the  greater 
production  and  the  more  successful  distribution  of  goods.  It  was 
voted  that  the  following  arrangement  should  be  made  for  this 
conference : 

1.  That  the  central  office  of  farm  bureaus  be  requested  to  ascertain  from 
its   agents   and  county  executive  committees  the  most  pressing  production, 
transportation,  marketing,   and  other  food  problems  to  be  met  during  the 
present  season  and  in  preparation  for  next  year's  work. 

2.  That  similar  information  be  gathered  by  letter  from  members  of  the 
Commission's  Advisory  Committee,   experiment  stations,   agricultural   school 
and  college  workers,  and  the  chairmen  of  the  agricultural  committees  of  the 
county  home  defense  councils. 

3.  That  the  chairman  and  the  assistant  secretary  analyze  the  replies  and 
classify  and  list  the  problems  reported,  and  that  they  arrange  for  their  con- 
sideration by  small  committees  at  the  Syracuse  conference,  the  questions  to 
be  considered  by  each  committee  to  be  sent  to  the  members  of  that  committee 
in  advance  of  the  conference. 

Arrangements  were  also  approved  for  the  purchase  and  distribu- 
tion of  a  limited  number  of  traction  potato  sprayers,  for  use  under 
the  supervision  of  representatives  of  the  Commission  in  localities 


18 

where  other  sprayers  were  not  available,  to  demonstrate  to  neigh- 
borhood groups  of  potato  growers  the  practicability  of  cooperative 
spraying  and  thus  increase  the  potato  crop. 

CONFERENCE   MEETING,  JULY   5   AND   6 

The  Commission  met  at  the  Onondaga  Hotel,  Syracuse,  on  Jul\ 
5  and  6,  in  conjunction  with  the  conference  which  it  had  called 
The  report  of  this  conference,  with  its  recommendations  as 
approved  by  the  Commission,  has  been  published  as  Bulletin  4 
(issued  under  date  of  July  30). 

At  this  meeting,  representatives  of  the  Million  Acre  Wheat 
Committee  presented  to  the  Commission  its  plan  of  work  and 
organization,  and  asked  for  the  Commission's  indorsement.  In 
view  of  the  efforts  which  its  county  representatives  had  already 
made  for  the  increased  production  of  grain,  and  in  view  of  the 
recommendation  of  the  Committee  on  Farm  Crops  of  the  confer- 
ence then  in  session,  the  Commission  adopted  the  following  resolu- 
tion concerning  its  relation  to  the  work  of  the  Million  Acre  Wheat 
Committee :  (t  To  meet  the  unquestioned  need  of  our  men  in  the 
field,  the  New  York  State  Food  Supply  Commission  encourages 
the  production  of  wheat  and  rye  in  the  State  of  New  York  as  far 
as  it  can  be  done  in  harmony  with  good  farm  practice,  and  it  urges 
its  county  representatives  to  cooperate  with  the  Million  Acre 
WTheat  Committee  or  other  agencies  working  for  this  end." 

At  this  meeting  the  Commission,  on  the  recommendation  of  the 
Commissioner  in  charge  of  Marketing,  indorsed  the  principle  of 
public  markets,  and  approved  the  establishment  of  cooperative 
farm  produce  associations  and  authorized  expenditures  for  this 
work. 

MARKETING  AND  DISTRIBUTION,  JULY  10  AND   11 

The  Commission  met  in  Albany  on  July  10  and  11  for  the  con- 
sideration of  the  recommendations  of  the  conference  held  at  Syra- 
cuse the  previous  week,  which  were  approved  and  adopted  as  pub- 
lished in  Bulletin  4. 

The  Commission  authorized  the  assistant  secretary  to  super- 
vise the  work  of  getting  membership  pledges  of  the  housewives  of 
the  State  in  the  Federal  Food  Administration,  as  requested  by 
Herbert  Hoover  through  the  National  and  State  Councils  of 
Defense,  and  directed  that  this  work  should  be  conducted  through 
the  county  home  defense  committees. 


19 

The  discussion  developed  that  one  of  the  chief  interests  of  the 
recent  conference  was  in  the  problems  of  marketing  and  distribu- 
tion. Plans  for  meeting  these  needs  were  discussed  at  length,  and 
a  committee  was  appointed  to  confer  with  the  Federal  Food 
Administrator  and  the  Bureau  of  Markets  of  the  United  States 
Department  of  Agriculture  as  to  their  plans,  and  to  secure  their 
cooperation  in  this  line  of  work.  The  Commission  voted  to  estab- 
lish a  Market  News  Service  in  New  York  State,  if  possible  with 
the  cooperation  of  the  Bureau  of  Markets  of  the  United  States 
Department  of  Agriculture.  It  was  also  voted  "  that  this  Com- 
mission desires  to  take  every  possible  precaution  and  measure  to 
preserve  and  economically  distribute  food  products  within  the 
State  and  to  prevent  waste  of  tender  food  products,  and  the  Com- 
mission requests  Mr.  Dillon  to  take  up  the  subject  of  waste  and 
loss  of  food  through  refusal  of  shipments  and  held  shipments  and 
condemnations  with  railroads,  transportation  companies,  commis- 
sion dealers,  and  the  Board  of  Health  of  the  city  of  New  York, 
with  a  view  to  correcting  the  abuses  of  distribution  in  the  State  of 
New  York,  and  to  report  his  progress  at  the  next  meeting." 

It  was  voted  to  cooperate  with  the  New  York  State  Federation 
of  Poultry  Associations  in  the  educational  campaign  for  the 
elimination  of  low-producing  birds,  the  plan  of  campaign  to 
include  press  notices,  circulars,  an  organized  movement  for  con- 
ducting field  meetings,  and  the  formation  of  local  associations  in 
poultry  centers.  Expenditures  for  this  purpose  were  approved. 

It  was  voted  that  an  effort  should  be  made  to  obtain  reliable 
information  concerning  the  extent,  value,  and  effect  of  the  home 
garden  movement  throughout  the  State,  through  the  enlistment 
of  voluntary  aid  for  this  purpose. 

FARM  LABOR,  AUGUST  3 

At  its  meeting  in  Albany  on  August  3,  the  Commission  author- 
ized an  exhibit  to  be  made  at  the  New  York  State  Fair  at  Syra- 
•case,  representing  its  work  in  conjunction  with  that  of  other  state 
institutions. 

The  attention  of  the  Commission  was  called  to  the  need  of 
farm  labor  for  harvesting  the  fruit  crop  in  western  New  York, 
and  it  was  voted  to  pay  for  the  leadership  of  additional  farm 
cadet  camps  for  that  purpose.  It  was  also  voted : 

That  the  State  Food  Supply  Commission,  in  view  ol  the  absolute  necessity 
of  an  adequate  supply  of  farm  help  to  harvest  the  season's  crops  without 
serious  losses,  and  because  of  the  known  scarcity  of  labor,  urgently  requests 


20 

the  Commissioner  of  Education  of  the  State  of  New  York  to  instruct  the 
school  authorities  to  urge  upon  the  teachers  and  pupils  under  their  jurisdic- 
tion the  necessity  of  making  available  under  the  Brown  Act  and  in  coopera- 
tion with  the  Farm  Cadet  Bureau  of  the  State  Military  Training  Commission 
as  large  a  supply  of  boy  labor  as  possible  for  harvesting  the  crops.  The  Com- 
mission specially  calls  attention  to  the  need  of  this  labor  for  the  harvesting 
of  peaches  in  the  western  New  York  peach  belt',  of  grapes  in  the  Chautauqua 
grape  belt,  of  potatoes  on  Long  Island  and  in  Steuben  County,  and  in  other 
sections  where  special  needs  appear. 

The  committee  sent  to  Washington  to  confer  on  marketing 
problems  with  the  Federal.  Food  Administrator  and  the  Bureau  of 
Markets,  made  a  report  and  recommended  a  plan  for  organizing 
the  potato  growers  of  the  State  for  marketing  their  crops.  It  wa^ 
voted : 

That  the  New  York  State  Food  Supply  Commission  approves  of  the  plan 
of  the  organization  of  potato  growers  into  local  exchanges  in  the  different 
potato-growing  communities  for  the  purpose  of  assembling,  grading,  sorting, 
and  marketing  the  potato  crop  for  the  year  1917-18. 

That  the  Commission  also  approves  of  the  plan  of  federating  the  local 
exchanges  into  one  general  sales  agency  for  the  State,  with  the  recommendation 
that  the  potatoes  of  all  of  the  members  of  the  local  exchanges  and  all  of  the 
potatoes  controlled  by  such  local  exchanges  be  marketed  and  distributed 
through  this  one  centralized  state  selling  agency. 


REPORT  OF  THE  DIVISION  OF  ADMINISTRATION 

CHARLES  S.  WILSON,.  Commissioner  in  Charge  ' 

The  work  of  the  Division  of  Administration  has  been  under 
the  general  supervision  of  the  Chairman  of  the  Commission  and 
in  immediate  charge  of  the  Assistant  Secretary,  Dwight  Sander- 
son, with  one  assistant,  an  accountant,  a  bookkeeper,  clerks,  and 
stenographers.  The  work  of  this  division  has  involved  the  gen- 
eral supervision  and  business  administration. 

Until  midsummer  a  large  amount  of  time  was  devoted  to  pre- 
paring the  budget  for  the  approval  of  the  State  Defense  Council, 
several  revisions  of  whick  were  made  before  its  final  approval. 

All  the  publications  and  the  printing  of  the  Commission  have 
been  supervised.  The  editing  of  publications  and  printed  forms 
has  been  in  charge  of  Misses  Cosgrave  and  Munsell,  of  the  Depart- 
ment of  Agriculture,  who  have  devoted  a  large  part  of  their  time 
to  the  work  of  this  Commission  without  extra  compensation. 
Without  their  unselfish  assistance  this  work  would  have  been 
seriously  delayed.  Two  posters  with  a  total  edition  of  21,000, 
four  circulars  with  a  total  of  32,000,  five  bulletins  with  a  total  of 
280.000,  and  seven  numbers  of  the  Announcer  with  a  total  of 
100,000,  have  been  issued;  in  addition  there  have  been  printed 
327,000  copies  of  the  census  blanks,  100,000  bulletin  envelopes, 
234,000  correspondence  envelopes,  289,000  letterheads,  and 
818,000  miscellaneous  blanks,  cards,  and  printed  forms,  making 
a  total  of  over  2,200,000  pieces  of  printed  matter,  involving  sev- 
enty-five printing?. 

One  hundred  and  seventy-five  letters,  press  notices,  contracts, 
and  other  mimeograph  forms  have  been  issued,  with  a  total  edition 
of  approximately  150,000. 

The  accounting  of  the  Commission  has  involved  the  approval  of 
the  appointments  of  all  employees,  and  the  securing  of  their 
approval  by  the  State  Council  of  Defense.  A  report  of  the  Audi- 
tor of  the  State  Council  of  Defense  covering  the  accounts  of  the 
Commission  is  given  at  the  end  of  the  report. 

The  publicity  work  of  the  Commission  has  been  in  charge  of 
Mr.  Walter  C.  Green,  of  the  Department  of  Agriculture.  The 
success  of  Mr.  Green's  work  is  evidenced  bv  the  generous  response 
of  the  press  throughout  the  State  in  furthering  the  activities  of 
the  Commission. 

[211 


22 

The  Department  of  Home  Economics  at  the  New  York  State 
College  of  Agriculture  furnished  material  concerning  methods  of 
canning  and  preparation  of  foods.  This  material  was  sent  out 
each  week  to  three  hundred  dailies  and  seven  hundred  weeklies. 

To  insure  the  prompt  mailing  of  its  publications,  the  Commis- 
sion installed  mailing  machinery  and  had  stencils  made  for  lists 
of  the  leading  agricultural  organizations  and  interests  of  the  State, 
totaling  nearly  15,000  names. 

During  the  month  of  August  a  considerable  amount  of  time  was 
given  to  a  campaign  for  pledging  the  housewives  of  the  State  to 
the  work  of  the  Federal  Food  Administration,  and  to  the  prepara- 
tion of  an  exhibit  at  the  State  Fair.  A  description  of  this  work 
follows : 

FOOD  CONSERVATION  PLEDGE  CAMPAIGN 

At  the  request  of  the  Federal  Food  Administrator,  made  through 
the  National  and  State  Councils  of  Defense,  the  Commission 
undertook  the  management  of  the  first  state-wide  campaign  to 
enlist  the  householders  of  New  York  in  the  movement  for  food 
conservation  by  obtaining  signatures  to  the  following  pledge: 

TO    THE   FOOD    ADMINISTRATOR, 

WASHINGTON,   D.   C. 

I  AM  GLAD  TO  JOIN  YOU  IN  THE  SERVICE  OF  FOOD  CONSERVATION  FOR  OUR 
NATION  AND  I  HEREBY  ACCEPT  MEMBERSHIP  IN  THE  UNITED  STATES  FOOD  ADMIN- 
ISTRATION, PLEDGING  MYSELF  TO  CARRY  OUT  THE  DIRECTIONS  AND  ADVICE  OF 
THE  FOOD  ADMINISTRATOR  IN  THE  CONDUCT  OF  MY  HOUSEHOLD,  IN  SO  FAR  AS  MY 
CIRCUM  STANCES  PERMIT. 

Name     

Address     

Number  in  household Do  you  employ  a  cook  ?      

Occupation  of  breadwinner 

Will  you  take  part  in  authorized  neighborhood  movements  for  food  conser- 
vation ?   

There  are  no  fees  or  dues  to  be  paid.  The  Food  Administration  wishes  to 
have  as  members  all  of  those  actually  handling  food  in  the  home. 

DIRECTIONS 

Mail  your  pledge  card  to  the  Food  Administrator,  Washington,  D.  C.,  and 
you  will  receive  FREE  your  first  instructions  and  a  household  tag  to  be  hung 
in  your  window. 

Upon  receipt  of  ten  cents  with  your  pledge  card  and  a  return  addressed 
envelope  the  official  button  of  the  Administration,  and,  if  desired,  the  shield 
insignia  of  the  Food  Administration,  will  also  be  sent  you. 

As  a  forerunner  of  the  active  work  of  the  pledge  campaign  the 
Commission  undertook  the  management  of  the  movement  to 
enlist  the  support  of  the  clergy  and  the  churches  of  the  State  in 
the  observance  of  the  first  Sunday  of  July  as  Food-saving  Sunday. 
Some  7000  circular  letters  and  a  suggested  program  urged  the 


churches  to  emphasize  the  serious  nature  of  the  food  situation  and 
to  secure  as  much  active  support  and  cooperation  from  individuals 
and  organizations  of  their  congregations  as  possible. 

The  pledge  campaign  proper  was  launched  on  July  17  by  send- 
ing circular  letters  to  the  chairmen  of  the  home  defense  commit- 
tees of  all  the  counties  of  the  State,  outlining  the  plan  of  cam- 
paign and  asking  each  Home  Defense  Committee  to  handle  the 
campaign  in  its  county  with  the  fullest  possible  cooperation  of 
all  the  women's  organizations.  The  pledge  was  also  sent  to  these 
committees,  in  stereotyped  form,  in  order  that  it  might  be  printed 
in  the  daily  and  weekly  papers  of  the  county.  Six  hundred  of 
these  stereotypes  were  distributed  and  the  pledge  was  very  gen- 
erally published  in  the  papers  of  the  State. 

In  general,  the  home  defense  committees  undertook  the  cam- 
paign and  handled  it  most  efficiently.  Active  cooperation  was 
given  by  Mrs.  William  Grant  Brown,  Chairman  of  the  New  York 
State  Division  of  the  Women's  Committee  of  the  National  Coun- 
cil of  Defense  and  of  the  Women's  Division  of  the  State  Council 
of  Defense,  and  by  the  chairmen  of  the  county  units  of  this 
committee. 

Special  mention  should  be  made  of  two  campaigns,  one  in  Ful- 
ton County  and  one  in  New  York  City.  In  Fulton  County  the 
committee,  headed  by  the  local  county  representative  of  the  Com- 
mission, made  a  thorough  systematic  door-to-door  canvass  of  the 
entire  county  and  apparently  obtained  the  signatures  of  consider- 
ably more  than  half  of  the  householders  of  the  county.  In  New 
York  City  the  work  was  in  charge  of  the  Mayor's  Com- 
mittee of  Women  on  National  Defense,  and  400,000  pledges  were 
distributed. 

One  result  of  the  pledge  campaign,  which  should  not  be  over- 
looked and  which,  while  it  is  too  intangible  to  be  summarized  in 
figures,  is  nevertheless  of  the  greatest  value,  is  its  educational 
effect.  Much  was  accomplished  in  stimulating  interest  in  the 
whole  food-conservation  and  food-saving  movement,  and  in  organ'z- 
ing  the  women's  clubs  to  an  active  cooperation  in  the  work  and 
to  a  keen  realization  of  its  importance. 

THE  STATE  FAIR  EXHIBIT 

The  Food  Training  Camp  exhibit  at  the  State  Fair,  at  Syra- 
cuse, New  York,  was  arranged  under  the  joint  authorization  of 
the  New  York  State  Fair  Commission  and  the  New  York  State 


Pood  Supply  Commission,  at  the  request  of  the  State  Fair  Com- 
mission, to  meet  the  suggestions  of  the  Federal  Food  Admin- 
istration. 

The  idea  of  a  Food  Training  Camp  was  new,  but  the  Food 
Supply  Commission  agreed  to  be  responsible  for  the  preparation 
and  installation  of  such  an  exhibit,  the  aim  of  which  was  to  cover 
the  work  done  to  increase  food  production,  to  decrease  food  waste, 
and  to  increase  efficiency  of  food  use  in  K~ew  York  State.  The 
preparation  of  the  exhibit  was  placed  in  immediate  charge  of 
Mr.  A.  M.  Loomis,  of  the  office  staff  of  this  Commission,  and 
Professor  B,.  H.  Wheeler,  of  the  Xew  York  State  College  of 
Agriculture. 

A  detailed  description  of  this  exhibit  is  given  here  because  it 
is  believed  that  its  conception,  organization,  and  general  plan 
offer  suggestions  for  making  future  state  fair  and  other  large 
exhibits  of  this  character  both  attractive  and  truly  educational. 

Four  general  types  of  exhibits  were  decided  upon:  first, 
graphic  representation,  both  of  the  fact  of  a  world  shortage  of 
food  and  of  the  cause  for  such  shortage;  second,  the  activities  of 
the  State  Food  Supply  Commission,  the  State  College  of  Agri- 
culture, the  county  farm  bureaus,  the  state  agricultural  schools, 
and  other  cooperating  agencies,  in  increasing  the  amount  of 
food  material  actually  produced;  third,  exhibits  showing  more 
direct  and  less  wasteful  methods  of  handling  and  transporting 
food  materials ;  and  fourth,  exhibits  showing  the  economic  methods 
of  preparing  foods,  eliminating  waste,  and  conserving  wheat; 
meat,  sugar,  and  fats  needed  particularly  at  this  time  for  export. 

The  central  exhibit,  which  served  as  a  key  to  the  entire  food 
training  camp,  was  a  booth  approximately  forty  feet  in  length, 
in  the  center  of  which  were  shown  the  reasons  for  the  world's  food 
shortage,  flanked  on  either  side  by  illustrations  of  the  remedies  — 
on  one  side  by  an.  exhibit  entitled  Make  Every  Acre  Productive, 
and  on  the  other  side  by  an  exhibit  entitled  Make  Every  Pound 
Effective.  The  reasons  for  the  world's  food  shortage  were  shown 
by  statistics  indicating  the  large  decrease  in  the  number  of  agri- 
cultural workers  in  the  world,  the  large  increase  in  the  number 
of  armed  men  in  the  armies  and  navies  of  the  world,  and  the 
decrease  in  the  world's  staple  food  crops,  wheat,  sugar,  and  pota- 
toes, and  in  the  visible  supply  of  meat.  A  map  showed  the  large 
agricultural  area  of  Europe  that  has  been  devastated  by  the  war, 
and  other  panels  showed  the  tremendous  increase  in  exports  of 


25 

foodstuffs  from  the  United  States.  An  exhibit  which  attracted 
special  attention  was  one  showing  the  daily  ration  of  the  Ameri- 
can soldier. 

At  the  entrance  to  the  exhibit  a  large  chart  and  map  illustrated 
the  state-wide  organization  of  the  New  York  State  Food  Supply 
Commission,  its  coordination  with  the  State  College  of  Agricul- 
ture, the  office  of  the  New  York  City  Food  and  Market  Commis- 
sioner, and  the  farm  bureaus,  county  home  defense  committees, 
and  women's  organizations  in  each  county.  A  series  of  smaller 
mounted  maps  and  exhibits  of  printed  matter  represented  the 
activities  of  the  Commission  and  its  various  divisions. 

Special  assistance  in  preparing  the  exhibit  was  given  by  the 
New  York  State  College  of  Agriculture  at  Cornell  University, 
which  supplied  a  large  part  of  the  material  and  installation;  also 
by  the  New  York  City  Health  Department,  Bureau  of  Foods  and 
Drugs;  by  the  state  schools  of  agriculture  at  Alfred,  Morrisville, 
and  Delhi ;  by  the  Wyoming  County  Farm  Bureau  and  the  New 
York  State  Bean  Laboratory  at  Perry;  and  by  the  New  York 
'State  Department  of  Agriculture. 

The  potato  exhibit,  where  in  one  section,  working  in  coopera- 
tion, were  several  of  the  departments  of  the  State  College  of  Agri- 
culture and  one  division  of  the  Food  Supply  Commission,  showed 
the  entire  detail  of  the  work  of  improving  the  New  York  State 
crop  of  potatoes.  This  included  methods  of  improving  seed  pota- 
toes by  hill  selection ;  methods  of  growing  and  handling  seed  pota- 
toes; the  care  of  the  crop  while  growing;  the  various  potato 
diseases,  remedial  measures,  spray  pumps,  spray  materials,  and 
types  of  nozzles;  potato  types,  getting  away  from  the  old  idea 
of  an  exhibition  of  named  varieties;  potato-grading  machinery; 
models  of  potato  storage  houses;  packages  for  marketing;  and 
suggested  methods  of  organization  for  cooperative  marketing 
agencies,  now  being  worked  out  in  New  York  State  under  the 
direction  of  the  Food  Supply  Commission. 

This  was  supplemented  by  special  material  in  the  food  conser- 
vation section  arranged  by  the  State  School  of  Agriculture  at 
Alfred  University.  In  this  section  the  value  of  the  potato  as  a 
food  was  shown,  and  the  methods  of  preparing  potatoes  as  a  food, 
to  save  their  entire  food  value,  was  demonstrated  by  a  competent 
instructor. 

Across  the  aisle  from  the  potato  exhibit  was  one  on  the  produc- 
tion and  care  of  milk.  The  breeding  and  selection  of  the  dairy 


26 

cow  was  shown  in  detail,  also  efficient  feeding  and  dairy  farm 
management,  the  best  methods  to  be  used  in  the  milk  barn,  and 
the  careful  and  cleanly  methods  required  to  transmit  the  product 
to  the  consumer. 

Adjoining  this  was  an  exhibit  dealing  with  the  elimination  of 
bovine  tuberculosis,  in  which  the  subject  was  treated  as  a  factor 
in  the  food-conservation  problem  looking  toward  the  increased 
production  of  both  meat  and  milk  in  New  York  State  by  still 
further  control  of  this  disease. 

A  back-yard  poultry  plant  was  in  the  next  section,  the  material 
including  a  Cornell  poultry  house  occupied  by  a  small,  well- 
selected  fleck.  It  showed  how  household  waste  can  be  turned  into 
food  when  used  as  poultry  feed,  and  gave  illustrations  of  the  best 
types  of  fowls  and  best  methods  of  feeding  and  of  preventing 
disease. 

Farm  and  general  drainage  had  a  large  place  because  it  is  gen- 
erally believed  that  lack  of  drainage  is  a  limiting  factor  in  the 
productivity  of  the  farms  of  the  State,  and  because  there  are  more 
than  600,000  acres  of  swamp  land  in  the  State  capable  of  being 
brought  into  a  high  state  of  productivity  by  drainage.  Working 
models  and  pictures,  maps  and  charts,  showed  how  farm  drainage 
systems  are  to  be  installed,  and  showed  also  a  simple  and  practical 
method  of  swamp  drainage.  Various  types  of  farm  products 
grown  on  reclaimed  land,  including  hay,  oats,  corn,  celery,  cab- 
bage, onions,  and  carrots,  were  shown. 

Waste  due  to  improper  methods  of  packing  and  handling  food 
for  transportation  was  shown  by  the  New  York  City  Health 
Department.  Photographs  illustrated  the  large  item  of  waste,  due 
to  broken  packages  and  damaged  products,  found  in  the  carloads 
of  produce  as  they  reach  the  city  markets.  These  photographs 
were  supplemented  by  charts  estimating  the  money  value  of  this 
loss,  and  these  again  by  packages,  barrels,  crates,  and  hampers 
recommended  as  safe  and  substantial  containers  in  which  to  ship 
produce  of  the  New  York  State  farms  to  the  New  York  City 
markets. 

A  section  devoted  to  the  preparation  of  foods  and  the  conserva- 
tion of  food  products  occupied  nearly  one-third  of  the  entire  space, 
including  an  auditorium  for  motion  pictures  and  demonstrations 
of  making  wheat-saving  breads,  of  meat  and  vegetable  canning, 
and  of  jelly  making  and  preserving.  This  section  included  an 
exhibit  of  milk  as  a  food,  made  by  the  State  School  of  Agriculture 


27 

at  Delhi,  emphasizing  the  value  of  milk  in  cookery  and  showing 
its  various  manufactured  forms;  an  exhibit  of  "meat  savers," 
using  legumes  and  other  vegetables  in  place  of  all  or  part  of  the 
meat  ordinarily  used  in  the  diet;  an  exhibit  of  preserves  and 
jellies,  showing  the  various  methods  of  extending  the  use  of  the 
fruit  crop  throughout  the  year;  and  an  extensive  exhibit  of  the 
various  methods  of  bread  making,  designed  to  show  methods  of 
utilizing  cereals  other  than  wheat  to  cut  down  the  amount  of  wheat 
used  in  the  daily  diet. 

Supplementing  the  exhibit  of  the  wheat-saving  methods,  small 
loaves  of  bread  baked  from  various  recipes  calling  for  the  utiliza- 
tion of  rye,  oatmeal,  buckwheat,  and  other  cereals  in  place  of 
wheat,  were  sold  at  cost  to  all  who  wished  to  sample  them.  One 
oven  belonging  to  the  United  States  Army  Camp  on  the  fair 
grounds  was  used  for  this  purpose,  and  its  entire  capacity  during 
the  time  of  the  fair  was  too  small  to  supply  the  demand. 

Drying  and  canning  exhibits  showed  various  types  of  driers, 
together  with  a  large  display  of  dried  foods,  and  also  of  pressure 
canning  outfits  of  sufficient  size  to  take  care  of  a  large  truck  farm 
or  a  small  community.  The  New  York  State  School  of  Agriculture 
at  Morrisville  showed  methods  of  saving  and  utilizing  fat.  This 
exhibit  included  charts  showing  the  waste  of  fats,  and  gave 
samples  of  various  types  and  kinds  of  soap  that  can  be  readily 
made  at  home  from  the  fats  saved. 

There  was  available,  in  each  one  of  the  food-conservation 
exhibits,  printed  matter  giving  recipes  and  directions  for  carrying 
out  the  recommended  practices.  Nearly  100,000  copies  of  this 
printed  matter  was  distributed  during  the  six  days  of  the  fair. 

New  York's  high  production  of  beans  was  recognized  by  a 
special  exhibit  showing  the  work  of  the  New  York  State  Bean 
Laboratory  at  Perry,  Wyoming  County,  where  studies  have  been 
made  of  remedial  measures  for  the  various  diseases  that  have 
attacked  this  crop  in  New  York  and  elsewhere ;  by  a  study  of  the 
commercial  varieties  of  beans  grown  in  this  State;  and  by  an 
exhibit  illustrating  the  food  value  of  beans  and  the  methods  of 
utilizing  them. 

The  back-yard  garden  movement  was  shown  in  a  plan  for  next 
year's  garden.  This  occupied  the  center  of  the  main  entrance  to 
the  Food  Training  Camp,  and  included  a  complete  representation 
of  a  back-yard  garden,  showing  the  garden  vegetables  actually 
growing,  properly  labeled  to  indicate  successions  of  planting  to 
grow  two  or  more  crops  from  the  same  ground  in  one  season. 


23 

Supplementing  this  was  a  model  of  a  pit  for  the  storage  of  winter 
vegetables  and  an  exhibit  of  new  and  comparatively  little-known 
vegetables. 

A  tractor  demonstration  was  given  on  Wednesday  and  Thursday 
of  Fair  Week,  the  details  of  which  were  arranged  by  and  in  charge 
of  Mr.  F.  G.  Behrends,  Assistant  to  Commissioner  S.  J.  T.  Bush. 
A  field  at  the  northwest  corner  of  the  grounds  was  used  for  this 
demonstration,  in  which  five  tractors  participated  on  Wednesday 
and  seven  on  Thursdav. 


REPORT  OF  THE  DIVISION  OF  FOOD  CONSERVATION 

A.  R.  MANN,  Commissioner  in  Charge;  D.  J.  CROSBY,  Assisting 

The  purpose  of  the  Division  of  Food  Conservation  was  to 
Increase  the  food  supply  by  reducing,  and  so  far  as  possible  pre- 
venting, losses  —  first  at  the  point  of  production,  and  second  at  the 
point  of  consumption. 

I.  The  prevention  of  losses  at  the  point  of  production  was  pro- 
moted by  the  following  lines  of  work : 

1.  Potato  insect  and  disease  control. 

2.  Seed-potato  inspection. 

3.  Fruit  insect  and  disease  control. 

4.  Vegetable  insect  control. 

5.  Insect  pest  survey  and  information  service. 

6.  Plant  disease  survey  and  information  service. 

II.  In  accomplishing  the  conservation  of  food  at  the  point  of 
consumption,  two  lines  of  work  were  developed : 

1.  Appointment  of  county  or  rural  food  conservation  agents 
supported  by  county  executive  committees. 

2.  Appointment  of  city  food  conservation  agents  supported  by 
city  executive  committees. 

Detailed  reports  of  these  several  lines  of  work  follow. 

I.    INSECT  AND  PLANT  DISEASE  CONTROL  SERVICE 
H.  H.  WHETZEL  and  J.   G.  NEEDHAM,  Leaders  in  Charge 
In  the  organization  of  the  insect  and  plant  disease  control 
service,  the  New  York  State  Food  Supply  Commission  had  the 
advantage  of  the  advice  of  the  following  committee : 

Professors  F.  C.  Stewart  and  P.  J.  Parrott,  of  the  New 
York  State  Experiment  Station  at  Geneva ; 

Dr.  E.  P.  Felt,  'State  Entomologist,  Albany ; 

Mr.  G.  G.  Atwood,  Horticulturist  of  the  State  Department 
of  Agriculture,  Albany ; 

Professors  H.  H.  Whetzel  and  J.  G.  Needham,  of  the  New 
York  State  College  of  Agriculture  at  Ithaca. 

The  staff  engaged  in  the  work  of  this  service  consisted  of:  (1) 
leaders  in  their  respective  lines  of  work,  who  maintained  head- 
quarters at  the  State  College  of  Agriculture  but  who  spent  much 
time  in  the  field  helping  in  perfecting  local  organization  and 

[29] 


30 

advising  field  assistants;  (2)  an  expert  on  fruit  pests  who  spent 
his  entire  time  in  the  field  advising  field  assistants;  (3)  a  force 
of  seven  field  assistants  in  potato  spraying,  five  field  assistants  in 
fruit  work,  and  two  assistants  in  vegetable  pest  work,  who  had 
headquarters  in  the  region  of  their  work  and  dealt  directly  with 
growers.  In  most  cases  the  field  assistants  had  office  headquarters 
with  the  county  representatives  of  the  Commission  and  were  sup- 
plied from  local  funds  with  stenographic  assistance  and  auto- 
mobile. 1"he  field  assistants  have  devoted  all  their  time  to  potato 
seed  inspection  work. 

The  reports  of  the  several  lines  of  work  in  this  division  follow : 

Potato  Insect  and  Disease  Control 
W.  H.  EANKIN,  Leader  in  Charge 

Potatoes  are  one  of  the  most  important  staple  crops  of  the 
State.  The  yield  depends  largely  on  weather  conditions,  which 
influence  the  amount  of  injury  due  to  flea  beetles,  Colorado  potato 
beetles,  tipburn,  early  blight,  and,  above  all,  the  disastrous  late 
blight.  Spraying  with  bordeaux  mixture  and  some  insect  poison 
insures  protection  from  these  injuries,  which,  when  combined, 
oftentimes  mean  total  loss  or  greatly  reduced  yields  and  poor 
storage  qualities.  The  procedure  to  be  followed  in  potato  spray- 
ing has  been  so  thoroughly  proved  a  successful  farm  operation 
that  it  should  be  universally  adopted.  Yet  in  some  sections  of 
this  State  potato  spraying  is  not  practiced  by  more  than  five  per 
cent  of  the  growers.  It  was  therefore  decided  that  one  of  the 
most  useful  and  immediately  beneficial  projects  for  insuring  crop 
yields  this  summer  was  a  systematic  campaign  to  get  a  greater 
acreage  under  spray.  Field  assistants  were  appointed  and 
assigned  to  work  in  cooperation  with  farm  bureaus  or  Food  Supply 
Commission  representatives  in  the  counties  growing  the  largest 
number  of  acres.  This  work  was  carried  on  in  Cortland,  Erie, 
Genesee,  Oneida,  Steuben,  Livingston,  Wyoming,  and  Allegany 
Counties. 

Preliminary  work.  The  seven  field  assistants,  working  full 
time  and  under  the  immediate  direction  of  the  project  leader  in 
potato  spraying,  began  work  on  June  1  in  these  counties.  During 
June  their  time  was  taken  with  the  following  lines  of  work: 

1.  Preparing  mailing  lists  of  potato  growers  having  more  than 
four  acres.  Information  was  obtained  from  the  census  taken  by 
the  Food  Supply  Commission  in  April. 


31 

2.  Mailing  circular  information  concerning  their  work  in  the 
county  and  giving  general  directions  on  potato  spraying. 

3.  Making  personal  visits  to  farms  in  potato  districts  to  stimu- 
late more  growers  to  spray  and  to  arouse  sentiment  in  favor  of 
community  spraying. 

4. .  Special  potato-spraying  meetings  called  in  the  evenings  in 
communities  where  cooperative  spraying  seemed  possible. 

5.  Keeping  in  touch  with  the  local  and  wholesale  market  of 
spray  materials  and  stimulating  cooperative  purchase  of  copper 
sulfate. 

During  July,  the  work  of  further  organizing  and  supervising 
spraying  communities  and  aiding  individual  growers  in  preparing 
for  spraying  operations  was  continued.  The  following  figures 
summarize  the  field  work  of  these  two  months : 

June  July  Total 

Telephone  calls   answered    178  214  392 

Copies  of  circular  matter  mailed 6,  987  932  7,  919 

Personal  letters  written   164  219  383 

News  items  written   17  10  27 

Newspapers  carrying  such  news 104  55  159 

Office  calls  received   86  135  221 

Farm  calls  made    851  1, 381  2, 232 

Meetings  held    ( night)    48  14  62 

Attendance  at  meetings 1,  056  202  1,  258 

During  August  and  the  first  week  of  September  the  amount  of 
field  work  necessary  to  satisfy  demands  for  diagnosing  potato 
troubles,  to  supervise  the  community  spraying,  and  to  advise  with 
individual  growers,  developed  to  the  extent  that  much  of  the  time 
of  the  assistants  was  taken  in  making  farm  calls.  The  following 
figures  showT  the  number  of  farm  calls  during  this  period: 

Cortland   County 138 

Erie   County    207 

Genesee  County    146 

Oneida  County    183 

Steuben   County    }  „„, 

Livingston  County  f 

Wyoming  County   )  , ,  Q 

Allegany   County    - j 

Total ...    1,127 


The  two  preceding  tables  taken  together  show  3359  individual 
farm  calls  made  by  these  representatives  of  the  Commission. 

Community  spraying.    By  the  first  of  August  actual  spraying 
operations  were  begun  in  most  of  the  counties,  and  the  assistants 


32 

were  busy  aiding  the  spraymen  in  charge  of  community  spraying 
in  organizing  the  rotation  spraying.  At  the  same  time  they  were 
aiding  large  numbers  of  individual  growers  who  had  never  sprayed 
before.  This  work  necessitated  constant  traveling  from  farm  to 
farm,  and  in  many  counties  the  assistant  was  unable  to  see  all  the 
men  asking  for  aid. 

Cooperative  community  organizations  are  in  operation  as  fol- 
lows : 


Number  of  acre, 

Cortland  ...............................  1 

Erie  ...................................  6  300 

Oneida  ................................  4  126 

Steuben  ................................  8  500 

Livingston  .............................  1  30 

Wyoming  ..............................  1  70 

Allegany  ...............................  1  5Q 


Total  21  1, 092 

Individual  spraying.  Of  more  importance  than  the  acreage 
under  community  spraying,  is  the  acreage  being  sprayed  correctly 
for  blight  for  the  first  time  by  many  individual  growers.  The 
following  list  of  such  acreages  indicates  the  effectiveness  of  thlia 
work.  These  growers  have  purchased  equipment  and  it  is  to  be 
expected  that  in  the  future  they  will  regularly  spray  their  crops, 
having  learned  the  value  of  the  protection: 


County 
Cortland   

Numl 

ber  of  growers   N 
T4 
100  approx. 
76 
132 
50 

85 

umber  o 

565 
950 
900 
537 
393 

665 

Erie  

Genesee  .  . 

Oneida  

•Livingston 

Wyoming 

) 

Allegany   .... 

f 

Total  

•  •  ) 

517 

4,010 

Demonstration  sprayings.  As  a  further  development,  it  was 
attempted  to  place  demonstration  sprayings  in  all  natural  potato 
communities  so  that  the  actual  results  of  potato  spraying  might  be 
available  to  those  communities.  It  is  intended  that  these  demon- 
stration plots  shall  be  dug  and  the  yield  weighed  and  compared 
with  that  of  unsprayed  check  fields.  Meetings  will  be  called  at 
digging  time  to  view  the  results.  In  this  way  the  vast  importance 
of  proper  spraying  will  be  driven  home. 


Potato  diseases  and  insect  pests.  Late  blight  has  been  rather 
generally  prevalent  and  destructive,  and  other  diseases  rank  in 
importance  as  follows:  rhizoctoniose,  mosaic,  early  blight,  scab. 
The  insect  pests  commonly  met  with  this  year  are  the  Colorado 
beetle,  the  ilea  beetle,  the  green  leaf  hopper,  and  the  potato 
aphis. 

Results.  In  most  of  the  counties  where  this  work  was  carried 
on,  considerable  loss  has  already  resulted  from  late  blight.  All 
the  assistants  report  little  or  no  blight  in  properly  sprayed  fields, 
while  in  adjoining  unsprayed  fields  the  tops  have  often  been  com- 
pletely killed.  They  also  report  uniform  satisfaction  on  the  part 
of  the  growers  spraying  for  the  first  time.  Many  growers  have 
changed  during  the  season  from  prepared  spraying  compounds  to 
homemade  bordeaux  mixture,  which  they  have  prepared  on  advice 
given  by  the  field  assistants. 

The  work  can  be  summarized  thus : 

Potato  spraying  was  urged  on  practically  all  of  the  potato 
growers  having  four  or  more  acres  in  the  important  potato  dis- 
tricts covered  by  the  seven  field  assistants.  This  was  done  by 
evening  meetings  and  personal  farm  visits. 

The  response  to  this  field  work  was  21  community  spraying 
organizations  with  1092  acres  represented,  and  approximately 
individual  growers  spraying  correctly  for  blight  for  the  first 
time,  representing  more  than  4000  acres  of  potatoes.  In  all, 
therefore,  about  5100  more  acres  of  potatoes  are  this  year  insured 
against  loss,  and  an  increased  yield  is  expected  of  from  25  to  50 
bushels,  or  more,  over  and  above  normal  yields  in  unsprayed  fields. 

Many  growers  not  included  in  the  records  kept  have  been  aided 
directly  or  indirectly.  It  is  impossible  to  measure  the  aid  given 
through  newspaper  articles,  circular  letters,  public  meetings,  and 
example.  Furthermore,  the  above  figures  are  not  taken  as  a  full 
measure  of  the  success  of  the  work,  because  with  the  interest  that 
has  been  aroused,  and  the  large  increase  in  the  number  of  grow- 
ers spraying  this  year,  there  will  no  doubt  be  a  further  independ- 
ent increase  in  the  acreage  next  year. 

Besides  the  generally  good  results  achieved  by  community 
efforts,  a  number  of  specific  instances  are  of  interest.  In  buying 
ppray  materials  in  Wyoming  County.  26,000  pounds  of  copper  sul- 
fate  were  bought  cooperatively  at  a  saving  to  the  growers  of 
from  4  to  8  cents  a  pound;  in  Allegany  County  considerable 
2 


34 

saving  was  made  on  the  cooperative  purchase  of  10,000  poi 
of  copper  sulfate.  The  field  agents  of  the  Commission  arranged 
these  purchases.  One  piece  of  excellent  cooperation  was  in  Gen- 
esee  County,  where  land  owners  were  persuaded  to  furnish  spray 
materials  ior  their  tenants  and  in  some  cases  helped  in  getting 
sprayers. 

In  Oneida  County  check  rows  were  left  unsprayed  as  object 
lessons.  In  one  field  24  sprayed  hills  yielded  5.7  pounds  to  the 
hill,  while  24  adjoining  unsprayed  hills  gave  an  average  of  only 
2.9  pounds  to  the  hill.  In  the  sprayed  hills  no  rot  was  present; 
in  the  unsprayed  there  were  25  rotted  tubers.  This  was  convinc- 
ing as  to  the  value  of  correct  spraying.  In  Steuben  County  the 
agent  reported  that  by  September  1  the  greater  part  of  the 
unsprayed  vines  in  the  county  were  dead.  Rot  was  prevalent  in 
the  unsprayed  fields.  The  increased  yield  in  sprayed  fields  in  the 
county  was  from  50  to  150  bushels  an  acre,  and  many  of  the 
unsprayed  fields  will  not  return  the  seed. 

General  educational  meetings.  In  addition  to  the  personal  calls, 
which  were  everywhere  considered  most  productive  of  results,  and 
in  addition  to  various  called  meetings  and  demonstrations  in 
making  and  applying  bordeaux,  the  Oneida  County  agent  held  a 
two-days  demonstration  and  exhibit  at  the  Paris  Hill  fair,  with 
lectures.  Many  of  the  3100  visitors  to  the  fair  attended  the 
exhibit  and  lectures,  and  took  away  the  literature.  Potato-dis- 
ease exhibits  were  made  at  the  Steuben  County  and  Livingston 
County  fairs.  A  similar  exhibit,  with  lectures,  at  the  Wyoming 
County  fair  was  visited  by  383  persons,  and  exhibits  were  made 
also  at  two  fairs  in  Allegany  County. 

Importance  of  September  work.  The  urgent  need  for  contin- 
ued work  in  September  was  everywhere  apparent,  because  weather 
conditions  strongly  favored  late  blight.  In  several  of  the  coun- 
ties farmers  were  inclined  to  quit  spraying  after  four  or  five  appli- 
cations. In  Oneida  County  blight  struck  very  heavily  at  the  end 
of  August,  yet  many  growers  thought  they  had  sprayed  enough. 
Had  they  not  been  persuaded  to  continue,  the  work  of  the  preced- 
ing months  would  have  been  largely  undone.  Where  spraying 
was  not  continued  the  results  in  heavily  reduced  yields  sadly 
proved  what  should  have  been  done.  Blight  appeared  about  Sep- 
tember 1  in  Livingston  County,  and  here  again  eternal  vigilance 
up  to  the  end  of  the  month  was  the  price  of  the  crop.  In  Steuben 


35 

County  the  sprayed  vines  were  still  growing,  and  the  taking  away 
of  supervision  would  have  meant  partial,  if  not  entire,  failure  of 
the  spraying  project. 

Seed-potato  inspection 

The  purpose  of  the  seed-potato  inspection  was  to  locate  in  the 
important  potato-growing  sections  of  the  State  just  as  many  fields 
of  potatoes  as  possible  which  were  sufficiently  free  from  disease 
and  varietal  mixtures  to  make  them  especially  valuable  for  seed. 
After  such  fields  were  located  they  were  to  be  listed,  and  the 
names  of  the  owners,  with  their  addresses,  were  to  be  made  avail- 
able to  the  county  agricultural  agents  and  other  persons  interested 
in  locating  seed  for  the  1918  crop. 

Two  inspections  were  to  be  made.  The  first  was  to  begin  about 
the  time  the  potatoes  were  in  full  bloom,  or  a  little  later,  when 
they  would  best  show  the  field  symptoms  of  the  various  diseases 
and  when  the  varietal  mixtures  could  be  detected ;  the  second  was 
to  be  conducted  at  digging  time  in  all  the  fields  that  qualified  at 
the  first  inspection.  Arrangements  to  carry  out  plans  for  locating 
the  fields  to  be  inspected  were  made  with  the  county  agents  and 
the  New  York  State  Food  Supply  Commission's  representatives 
in  the  most  important  potato-growing  counties  of  the  State,  as 
follows:  Allegany,  Cortland,  Erie,  Genesee,  Livingston, 
Monroe,  Onondaga,  Ontario,  Rensselaer,  Steuben,  Washington, 
Wayne,  Wyoming.  Announcements  of  the  plan  and  character 
of  the  inspections  were  sent  out  through  the  county  representa- 
tives of  the  Food  Supply  Commission  to  farmers  having  five 
acres  or  more  of  potatoes.  Farmers  desiring  the  inspection 
replied  on  postcards  provided  for  the  purpose. 

The  two  inspectors,  Mr.  Rands  and  Mr.  Peacock,  then  divided 
the  territory  between  them  and  proceeded  with  the  first  inspec- 
tion, beginning  in  those  localities  where  the  potatoes  were  farthest 
advanced.  The  actual  inspection  of  the  potatoes  began  the  latter 
part  of  July.  Practically  all  of  the  month  of  July  was  employed 
in  making  the  preliminary  arrangements  in  cooperation  with 
the  county  representatives  of  the  Food  Supply  Commission. 

A  very  large  number  of  growers  asked  for  these  inspections, 
so  that  the  two  inspectors  were  not  able  to  complete  all  of  the 
first  inspection  by  the  1st  of  October,  although  one  of  them 
began  the  second  inspection  about  the  15th  of  September  in 
those  counties  where  potato  digging  was  then  begun. 

Owing  to  the  extreme  shortage  of  the  potato  crop  last  year, 


36 

more  diseased  potatoes  than  usual  were  planted  this  year.  This, 
together  with  the  wet  weather  throughout  the  summer,  resulted 
in  serious  outbreaks  of  blight  and  other  diseases  in  fields  not 
properly  sprayed.  On  this  account  it  is  of  vital  importance  to 
the  potato  crop  of  next  year  that  an  abundance  of  disease-free 
seed  potatoes  should  be  located  and  listed.  Furthermore,  last 
spring  there  was  an  extreme  shortage  of  potato  seed  in  the  State, 
and  the  Commission  was  under  the  necessity  of  bringing  into 
the  State  fifty-four  carloads  of  seed  to  meet  the  demands  of 
growers.  It  is  to  be  remembered  also  that  the  scarcity  of  seed 
was  accompanied  by  an  almost  prohibitive  price.  As  many  of 
the  diseases  develop  in  the  tubers  and  cannot  be  detected  until 
after  the  potatoes  are  dug,  it  is  impossible  to  make  a  satisfactory 
list  of  inspected  fields  unless  both  inspections  are  made. 

SUMMARIZED  DATA  ON  POTATO  INSPECTION 


1. 

9 

County 

Allegany  .    .  . 
Cortland 

Number  of  fields  with      T^U] 
five  or  more  acres  of      ^OJ] 
potatoes 

Data  not  available 
330 

iiber  of  applica' 
is  for  inspection 

18 
50 

Number  qualified  at 
nrst  inspection  to 
i       be    given     second 
inspection 

2 
26 

8 

Erie 

1  000 

44 

20 

4 

Genesee    .    .  .  . 

366 

40 

8 

5 

Livingston  .    . 

650 

30 

10 

fi 

Monroe  

1,300 

80 

Incomplete 

7. 
8 

Onondaga  .   .  . 
Ontario  

38* 
776 

19 

28 

12 
11 

9 

Rensselaer 

343 

22 

9 

10 

Steuben  . 

2,  000 

67 

22 

11. 

1? 

Washington  . 
Wayne       .  .  .  . 

881 
425 

57 
30 

30 
16 

13 

Wyoming   .    . 

Data  not  available 

38 

21 

Total    523  187 


*  Letter  issued  only  to  members  of  local  potato  growers'  association. 

Of  the  523  growers  who  applied  for  the  first  inspection  and  most 
of  whose  fields  were  inspected,  only  about  187  growers  had  fields 
sufficiently  free  from  symptoms  of  disease  or  varietal  mixtures  to 
qualify  for  the  second  and  final  inspection.  The  fields  average 
about  10  acres,  so  that  approximately  1870  acres  was  covered  by 
the  second  inspection. 

Fruit  Insect  and  Disease  Control 

L.  R.  HESLER,  Leader  in  Charge 

The  aim  of  the  work  in  the  control  of  insects  and  diseases  attack- 
ing fruits  was  to  prevent  losses  by  keeping  growers  informed  on 
the  opportune  times  for  spraying  and  on  the  most  efficient  control 


37 

measures.  The  work  was  mainly  concentrated  in  the  counties  of 
Ontario,  Orleans,  Oswego,  Ulster,  Wayne,  and  Yates.  Special 
agents  of  the  Commission  were  in  charge  of  the  work,  which  was 
done  in  cooperation  with  the  farm  bureaus  or  the  county  repre- 
sentatives of  the  Commission. 

The  work  of  the  field  assistants  may  be  summarized  as  follows : 

1.  Gathering  local  facts  regarding  the  most  prevalent  diseases 
and  insect  pests  —  the  most  important  insects  and  diseases  attack- 
ing fruit  in  the  county,  the  weather  in  its  relation  to  outbreaks ; 
and  arranging  for  the  keeping  of  permanent  records  of  all  such 
data  as  might  prove  of  value  in  later  seasons. 

2.  Visiting  and  advising  with  farmers  concerning  insect  pest 
and  disease  control  measures. 

3.  Discovering  the  needs  of  the  growers  in  the  way  of  spray 
materials  and  machinery,  and  keeping  them  informed  as  to  the 
sources,  cost,  and  available  supplies  of  these  necessities. 

4.  Providing  timely  news  items  on  control  measures,  for  county 
and  farm  bureau  papers. 

5.  Giving  advice  by  telephone,  personal  letters,  circular  letters, 
and  personal  conferences.     Field  demonstrations   and  meetings 
were  conducted  as  needed. 

The  following  is  a  partial  statistical  summary  of  such  work  per- 
formed by  the  field  assistants : 

News  items,  78;  telephone  calls,  510;  personal  letters,  213 ;  cir- 
cular letters,  5,  total  copies,  1250;  calls  at  office,  214;  farm  calls, 
1719 ;  meetings  held,  28,  total  attendance,  1304. 

These  figures  do  not  by  any  means  give  a  complete  measure  of 
the  work  done.  In  some  counties,  for  example,  an  extensive  tele- 
phone relay  system  was  in  vogue  throughout  the  summer.  By  this 
system,  at  the  proper  time  for  the  dissemination  of  timely  informa- 
tion the  field  assistant  was  able  on  short  notice  to  reach  large 
numbers  of  growers.  For  example,  it  is  necessary  in  the  control  of 
all  fungous  diseases  to  spray  before  a  rain.  Farmers  as  a  rule  do 
not  follow  the  weather  forecasts,  and  so  fail  to  get  their  spray  on 
before  a  rain.  The  field  agent  in  Wayne  County  arranged  to  get 
the  weather  forecasts  by  telegraph,  so  that  he  had  twelve  hours 
gain  on  the  published  reports.  Two  days  before  the  evidence 
indicated  a  rain  period  would  set  in,  the  agent  sent  out  over  the 
telephone  relay  system  the  recommendation  that  the  spray  of  lime- 
sulfur  and  arsenate  of  lead  should  go  on.  He  telephoned  each  of 
ten  committeemen  in  various  parts  of  the  county.  Each  of  these 


33 

by  prearrangement  called  by  telephone  a  certain  number  of  grow- 
ers, each  in  turn  to  call  others,  until  every  grower  within  the  cir- 
cuit was  advised  concerning  steps  to  be  taken  immediately.  In 
this  work  timeliness  is  of  such  great  importance  that  the  value  of 
this  method  is  immeasurable. 

When  time  would  permit  the  use  of  slower  means  of  communica- 
tion, circulars,  personal  letters,  and  postcards  were  employed  in 
reaching  growers.  More  effective  than  any  of  these  means  of 
communication  was  personal  contact  with  farmers,  through  meet- 
ings attended  by  over  1300  men  and  women  and  through  more  than 
1000  office  and  farm  calls.  Each  field  assistant  had  an  automobile 
to  enable  him  to  get  over  his  territory  rapidly,  and  in  most  cases 
the  cars  were  furnished  by  the  county  organizations. 

In  a  season  that  was  very  unusual  as  to  rainfall  and  other 
climatic  conditions,  the  field  assistants  were  able  to  get  many 
farmers  to  spray  effectively  where  the  fruit  prospects  warranted 
spraying,  and  they  did  not  hesitate  to  advise  against  spraying 
where  the  crop  was  too  light  to  make  the  work  of  sufficient 
value. 

The  field  assistants  were  appointed  too  late  to  employ  effective 
measures  against  the  peach-leaf-curl  fungus,  but  they  called  atten- 
tion to  the  seriousness  of  the  conditions  and  suggested  means  for 
preventing  the  recurrence  of  such  outbreaks  in  future  years. 

In  many  cases  the  ravages  of  unfamiliar  insects  and  diseases 
were  brought  to  the  attention  of  growers  and  preventive  measures 
were  taught. 

While  giving  particular  attention  to  fruit  affections,  all  the  field 
assistants  kept  a  sharp  outlook  on  potatoes,  beans,  wheat,  and 
other  important  crops,  and  were  in  several  instances  able  to  check 
serious  depredations  on  these  crops.  This  was  particularly  true  of 
potato  diseases  and  insects. 

One  of  the  greatest  benefits  that  have  been  accomplished  has 
been  the  development  of  methods  of  organizing  and  cooperating 
for  the  control  of  diseases  and  insects  affecting  fruits,  methods 
that  can  be  applied  effectively  next  year  if  the  war  emergency 
continues. 

Vegetable  insect  control 
C.  R.  CROSBY,  Leader  in  Charge 

The  work  under  this  project  was  similar  to  that  conducted  in 
connection  with  the  control  of  fruit  insects  and  diseases.  It 
was  planned  with  the  same  object  in  view  and  the  procedure  was 


39 

similar.    Only  two  field  assistants  were  employed  for  this  work  - 
one  in  Nassau  County,  and  the  other  also  in  southeastern  New 
York  but  mainly  in  Orange  County. 

The  assistant  in  southeastern  New  York  had  his  headquarters 
at  Middletown  and  worked  in  cooperation  with  the  Orange  County 
Farm  Bureau,  the  manager  of  which  is  the  local  representative  of 
the  New  York  State  Food  Supply  Commission.  The  work  of  this 
assistant  was  confined  largely  to  the  specialized  vegetable-growing 
region  on  the  banks  of  the  Wallkill  River.  This  region  is  devoted 
to  the  growing  of  onions,  lettuce,  and  celery.  The  assistant  devoted 
his  efforts  to  the  control  of  onion  maggot  and  onion  thrips  by 
methods  which  have  been  found  successful  in  other  parts  of  the 
country  but  which  had  not  been  adopted  by  the  growers  of  this 
region.  It  was  found  necessary  to  adapt  these  methods  of  control 
so  as  to  increase  their  effectiveness  under  New  York  conditions. 
In  addition  to  this  work  the  assistant  was  able  to  give  advice  in 
regard  to  the  control  of  other  vegetable  pests  in  that  region,  and 
also  to  assist  in  demonstrating  methods  of  controlling  the  potato 
aphis,  an  outbreak  of  which  occurred  in  Orange  and  Rockland 
Counties.  Here  also  it  was  necessary  to  modify  the  spraying 
machinery,  as  that  in  use  was  not  adapted  to  do  effective  work 
against  this  pest. 

The  field  assistant  in  Nassau  County  was  employed  through  the 
early  part  of  the  summer  in  giving  advice  in  regard  to  miscellane- 
ous vegetable  insects,  such  as  cabbage  maggot,  potato  lice,  tomato 
lice,  and  many  others.  Had  the  assistant  been  in  the  field  earlier, 
much  loss  by  the  cabbage  root  maggot  could  have  been  avoided. 
In  addition  to  this  work  during  the  latter  part  of  the  summer,  the 
assistant  conducted  an  extensive  series  of  demonstrations  in  the 
control  of  the  corn-ear  worm  by  means  of  an  arsenical  dust  applied 
to  the  silk.  He  devised  an  attachment  to  the  dusting  machine, 
which  is  a  great  advance  over  the  method  heretofore  employed. 
The  assistant  has  received  the  hearty  cooperation  of  the  vegetable 
growers  of  Nassau  County,  and  the  work  should  be  continued 
another  year. 

The  following  is  a  brief  statistical  summary  of  the  work  of  these 
two  field  assistants  in  vegetable  insect  control  work:  telephone 
calls,  171 ;  circular  letters,  6,  total  copies,  1228 ;  personal  letters, 
365  ;  news  items,  6  ;  office  calls,  68  ;  farm  calls,  556 ;  meetings  held, 
5,  total  attendance,  968;  demonstrations,  19,  total  attendance, 
112. 


40 

Insect  Pest  Survey  and  Information  Service 

E.  P.  FELT,  Leader  in  Charge 

The  main  purpose  of  this  survey  was  to  get  prompt  and  accurate 
reports  from  all  over  the  State,  summarize  the  information  thus 
obtained,  distribute  it  promptly,  and  thus  promote  the  checking 
or  prevention  in  large  measure  of  the  numerous  losses  annually 
inflicted  by  insect  pests.  Particular  emphasis  was  laid  on  the 
initial  signs  of  injury  in  order  that  the  insects  might  be  controlled 
before  material  damage  had  been  inflicted.  This  work  was  closely 
articulated  with  the  control  work  in  the  field  described  in  the  pre- 
ceding pages.  Insects  infesting  the  more  important  crops  received 
first  attention,  especially  the  insect  enemies  of  potatoes,  fruits  — 
such  as  apples,  pears,  peaches,  and  cherries  —  cereal  and  forage 
crops,  and  truck  and  garden  crops.  The  importance  of  this  work 
may  be  gauged  somewhat  by  an  estimate  made  in  1913  which 
placed  the  approximate  loss  caused  by  insects  in  this  State  to  all 
farm  crops  at  $20,000,000. 

This  service,  since  its  organization  on  May  17  and  up  to  Sep- 
tember 1,  sent  out  729  letters,  4769  copies  of  circulars,  1729 
copies  of  the  fifteen  weekly  digests  prepared,  1754  report  blanks, 
and  12,174  pages  of  circular  matter.  It  received  606  reports  from 
over  100  correspondents  located  in  all  parts  of  the  State,  mostly 
representatives  of  the  !N"ew  York  State  Food  Supply  Commission. 

The  organization  outlined  above,  with  one  or  more  active  agents 
in  practically  every  county  of  the  State,  has  made  feasible  a  closer 
watch  on  insect  developments  than  has  heretofore  been  possible. 
The  developments  of  the  past  season  have  repeatedly  shown  that 
insect  outbreaks  in  the  southern  part  of  the  State,  especially  the 
lower  Hudson  Valley  and  Long  Island,  were  likely  to  be  repeated 
later  in  the  more  northern  sections,  and  that  hence  the  conditions 
in  one  region  could  be  used  to  indicate  probabilities  in  others. 
The  fifteen  weekly  digests  not  only  recorded  conditions  in  various 
sections  of  the  State  and  outlined  preventive  or  remedial  measures, 
but  also  appraised  the  possibility  of  subsequent  damage  by  various 
insects. 

Particular  attention  was  paid  to  the  possibilities  of  preventive 
or  early  remedial  work,  and  in  carrying  this  out  several  circulars 
were  issued  —  especially  one  on  fruit  insects  and  crop  pests, 
mailed  on  May  30,  another  discussing  the  destructive  redbug 
and  pear  psylla,  mailed  on  June  2,  and  a  third  on  spraying  fruit 
trees,  with  a  special  reference  to  the  control  of  the  codling  mothr 


41 

mailed  on  June  7.  A  circular  calling  attention  to  the  work  of  the 
extraordinarily  abundant  May  and  June  beetles  was  issued  on 
June  1 1 ;  one  discussing  the  seed-corn  maggot  so  destructive  in  the 
bean-growing  regions  was  prepared  on  June  18 ;  and  the  day  on 
which  outbreaks  of  the  army  worm  on  Long  Island  were  reported, 
was  marked  by  the  preparation  of  a  circular  calling  attention  to 
the  early  indications  of  attack  by  this  greatly  feared  pest,  and 
giving  in  summarized  form  the  more  approved  control  and 
remedial  measures.  The  wheat  midge,  injuring  rye  and  wheat,  the 
midsummer  leaf  feeders  of  the  apple  orchard,  the  insect  pests  of 
domestic  animals,  and  the  Hessian  fly,  were  likewise  discussed  in 
timely  circulars. 

A  special  effort  was  made  to  bring  about  a  satisfactory  control 
of  the  more  serious  insect  pests  of  fruit  trees,  especially  the 
codling  moth,  or  apple  worm,  the  apple  redbug,  and  the  pear 
psylla.  The  county  agents  and  other  correspondents  were  repeat- 
edly urged  to  make  every  reasonable  effort  to  bring  about  timely 
and  thorough  treatment  for  these  and  other  pests,  and  in  many 
localities  the  results  were  most  gratifying  since  the  fruit  growers 
as  a  whole  are  alive  to  the  importance  of  the  work.  The  need  of 
spraying  for  the  codling  moth  was  greatly  emphasized  by  the 
short  crop  of  the  present  season,  which  means  a  larger  percentage 
of  wormy  apples  and  apparently  greater  injury  by  an  insect 
which  can  be  readily  controlled,  as  has  been  repeatedly  demon- 
strated by  the  work  of  earlier  years. 

The  Insect  Pest  Survey  and  Information  Service  was  able  to 
make  what  is  practically  a  June-beetle  survey  of  the  State,  and  it 
brought  together  a  mass  of  data  which  can  be  used  to  great  prac- 
tical advantage  in  indicating  areas  where  serious  injury  by  the 
destructive  white  grub  is  likely  to  occur  next  year.  This  knowl- 
edge can  and  should  be  used  by  farmers  in  such  a  way  as  to  enable 
them  to  largely  escape  losses  through  the  white  grub  next  summer. 

The  wheat  midge  was  somewhat  injurious  to  heading  rye  in 
various  parts  of  the  State,  and  later  was  found  in  many  wheat 
fields.  It  was  estimated  that  the  loss  in  southern  Niagara  and 
northern  Erie  Counties  caused  by  this  insect  would  approximate 
20  per  cent  in  shrunken  wheat.  The  actual  loss  in  other  wheat- 
growing  counties  appears  to  be  considerably  less,  that  in  Orleans 


42 

County  being  placed  at  from  3  to  5  per  cent.  This  damage,  com- 
paratively rare  during  recent  years  in  New  York  State,  was  due 
largely  to  unusual  climatic  conditions  at  the  time  the  grain  was 
heading. 

The  work  of  the  seed-corn  maggot  in  bean  fields  came  to  notice 
the  last  of  June  and  was  very  serious,  the  loss  on  seed  alone  in 
one  9-acre  field  in  Genesee  County  amounting  to  $70,  while  from 
50  to  75  per  cent  of  16  acres  was  destroyed.  One  Monroe  County 
grower  lost  over  $300  on  seed  alone.  The  damage  for  Erie  County 
was  put  at  40  per  cent,  and  it  was  estimated  that  one-fourth  of 
$96,000  worth  of  ;seed  was  destroyed  in  Orleans  County.  Untoward 
weather  conditions  and  deep  planting  on  the  wetter  land  appear 
to  have  greatly  augmented  losses,  while  the  total  damage  was 
increased  by  the  work  of  snails,  millepedes,  and  disease.  The 
experience  of  the  past  season  indicates  that  bean  growers  should 
exercise  great  care  in  planting  the  heavier  moist  land,  especially 
during  wet  seasons,  and  furthermore  that  deep  planting  is  likely 
to  result  in  increased  injuries. 

The  grasshopper  situation  was  closely  watched  in  various  sec- 
tions of  the  State,  and  preparedness  measures  were  adopted  which 
made  practically  impossible  the  large  and  mostly  unanticipated 
losses  of  1914  and  1915.  The  earlier  work  on  these  pests  made  it 
comparatively  easy  to  secure  the  ready  cooperation  of  individuals 
in  handling  pests  in  restricted  areas. 

The  possibility  of  serious  damage  by  the  Hessian  fly  —  which 
caused  a  loss  to  wheat  in  New  York  State  estimated  at  $3,000,000 
in  1901  —  led  to  the  issuing  of  a  circular  advocating  the  strict 
observance  of  certain  precautions  in  order  to  promote  a  vigorous 
growth  of  the  grain  and  prevent  any  such  untoward  development 
this  fall  and  next  spring. 

Potato  aphis  appeared  in  July  on  Long  Island,  and  became 
very  abundant,  and  in  many  counties  very  injurious  outbreaks 
were  reported  in  some  fields,  Lewis  County  being  one  of  the  last 
to  report  infestation.  This  insect  breeds  very  rapidly  and  under 
certain  conditions  is  most  destructive.  It  is  usually  checked  by 
parasites,  and  this  appears  to  have  been  the  case  in  many  localities, 
though  severe  losses  were  reported  for  individual  fields.  The 
estimated  loss  in  Dutchess  County  was  placed  at  5  per  cent.  The 


43 


aphis  was  ranked  as  a  plague  in  Orleans  County.  It  caused 
serious  loss  for  some  large  growers  in  Ulster  County  and  was  very 
injurious  in  gardens,  the  estimated  decrease  in  the  crop  ranging 
from  10'  to  75  per  cent,  with  total  loss  in  isolated  cases.  It  is 
very  difficult  to  obtain  exact  figures  as  to  losses.  Growers  agree 
as  to  the  beneficial  results  following  early  and  thorough  spraying 
with  a  tobacco-soap  preparation. 

In  addition  to  the  above-mentioned  somewhat  special  lines  of 
effort,  the  Insect  Pest  Survey  and  Information  Service  was  called 
upon  to  advise  as  to  the  best  method  of  controlling  many  of  the 
commoner  farm  and  crop  insects,  as  well  as  pests  occurring  in  the 
house  and  annoying  domestic  animals.  The  correspondence 
reported  above  was  largely  with  county  representatives  of  the  New 
York  State  Food  Supply  Commission,  and  a  special  effort  was 
made  to  keep  these  parties  thoroughly  posted  as  to  the  latest 
developments  and  the  best  methods  of  dealing  with  various  per- 
plexing insect  problems.  These  in  turn  passed  the  information 
along  to  their  numerous  clients,  and  the  effort  cannot  fail  to  have 
greatly  increased  interest  in  the  problem  of  insect  control  as  well 
as  promoting  greater  efficiency  along  these  lines. 

SUMMARY  OF  ACTIVITIES  OF  THE  INSECT  PEST  SURVEY  AND 
INFORMATION  SERVICE  FROM  MAY  17,  1917,  TO  SEPTEMBER  1, 
1917,  INCLUSIVE 


Week  ending 

Letters 
mailed 

Circulars 
mailed 

Digests 
mailed 

Report 
blanks 
mailed 

Reports 
received 

Pages  of 
circular 
matter 
mailed 

May  24  

16 

402 

79 

135 

30 

1,074 

May  31 

75 

87 

90 

90 

43 

522 

June  7  
June  14  
June  21  

67 
45 
59 

422 
468 
334 

98 
142 
112 

98 
112 
111 

45 
43 
43 

566 
692 
669 

June  28  

68 

825 

117 

117 

54 

1,432 

July  5 

52 

484 

117 

117 

42 

952 

July  12  .  . 

67 

244 

121 

121 

37 

853 

July  19 

63 

529 

121 

121 

39 

1,134 

July  26    

57 

632 

122 

122 

42 

1,242 

August  2  

37 

122 

122 

68 

488 

August  9  . 

44 

12 

122 

122 

47 

756 

August  16  

45 

122 

122 

33 

488 

August  23  

20 

122 

122 

22 

610 

August  30 

14 

330 

122 

122 

18 

696 

729 

4,769 

1,729 

1,754 

606 

12,174 

44 

Parallel  to  this  Insect  Pest  Survey  and  Information  Service 
there  was  maintained  a  Plant  Disease  Survey  and  Information 
Service,  a  condensed  report  of  which  follows. 

Plant  Disease  Survey  and  Information  Service 

H.  H.  WHETZEL,  Leader  in  Charge 

The  purpose  of  the  disease  survey  was  to  obtain  as  prompt  and 
extensive  information  as  possible  on  the  appearance  and  severity 
of  diseases  affecting  our  chief  crops,  so  that  we  might  intelligently 
undertake  and  direct  work  on  their  control.  The  disease  survey 
constituted  an  active  intelligence  service  for  the  assistance  of  all 
the  agencies  interested  in  crop  conservation,  both  state  and  federal. 

Procedure.  The  work  was  conducted  through  a  cooperative 
arrangement  between  the  New  York  State  Food  Supply  Commis- 
sion, the  Bureau  of  Plant  Industry  of  the  Federal  Department  of 
Agriculture,  and  the  Department  of  Plant  Pathology  of  the  Xew 
York  State  College  of  Agriculture.  It  constituted  one  of  the 
authorized  projects  of  the  Food  Supply  'Commission,  which  fur- 
nished part  of  the  stenographic  help  required  and  a  small  quantity 
of  stationery,  cards,  and  equipment.  The  Bureau  of  Plant 
Industry  furnished  franked  stationery,  including  letterheads, 
envelopes,  shipping  cards,  etc.,  and  paid  the  salary  of  one  assist- 
ant on  the  work.  The  College  of  Agriculture  provided  office 
space,  the  time  of  the  leader  of  the  project,  and  one  man  in 
charge  of  the  office  and  clerical  work,  besides  half  the  time  of 
another  stenographer.  The  College  provided  also  all  printed 
circular  matter  on  the  common  diseases,  for  distribution  in  con- 
nection with  the  work. 

Results.  Eighty-four  field  reporters,  representing  every  section 
in  the  State  except  The  Bronx,  Kings  County,  and  ISTew  York 
County,  were  enlisted  and  these  made  reports  as  called  for  on 
the  diseases  of  the  chief  crops  grown  in  their  respective  sections. 

Blanks  for  about  twenty-two  special  reports  on  the  most 
common  and  destructive  diseases  of  staple  crops  were  sent  out 
to  these  reporters,  these  crops  including  apples,  peaches,  and 
other  orchard  fruits,  wheat,  potatoes,  and  garden  crops. 


45 

Tabulations  and  summaries  of  as  many  of  these  reports  as 
have  been  completed  to  date  have  been  made  and  distributed  to 
all  the  disease  reporters,  to  county  agents,  and  to  the  Federal 
Government. 

We  have  also  made  special  reports  to  the  Federal  Bureau,  on 
special  blanks  furnished  by  it,  on  the  diseases  of  the  following 
crops:  wheat,  corn,  oats,  tomato,  cabbage,  potato,  buckwheat, 
cauliflower,  and  grape. 

We  have  received  from  the  disease  reporters  over  five  hundred 
specimens  of  diseases  which  we  have  identified  and  regarding 
which  we  have  written  the  reporters  personal  information  letters. 

II.     COUNTY  AND  CITY  FOOD  CONSERVATION 

MABTHA  VAN  RENSSELAER,  FLOBA  ROSE,  and  FLORENCE  FREER,  Leaders  in 

Charge 

The  county  and  city  food  conservation  work  of  the  Commis- 
sion consisted  in  undertaking  the  immediate  completion  of  the 
organization  of  all  the  counties  in  the  State  with  home  demon- 
stration, or  food  conservation,  agents,  This  movement  was 
inaugurated  by  the  State  some  years  ago  in  cooperation  with 
the  United  States  Department  of  Agriculture,  and  under  normal 
conditions  would  have  taken  many  years  more  for  full  develop- 
ment. When  the  Commission  began  its  work,  five  counties  had 
been  organized  and  agents  established;  on  October  1  there  were 
forty  organized  counties  in  the  State,  and,  in  addition,  work 
had  been  established  in  nine  of  the  larger  cities.  Most  of  the 
States  in  the  Union  have  undertaken  similar  organization  work  on 
war  emergency  funds,  but  New  York  State  had  an  advantage  in 
the  early  appropriation  of  funds  for  the  New  York  State  Food 
Supply  Commission.  In  the  first  federal  food  production  bill, 
passed  on  August  10,  nearly  four  and  one-half  million  dollars 
was  appropriated  for  the  extension  of  the  county  agent  system  as 
a  war  measure  in  cooperation  with  the  States. 

The  State  was  charted  into  five  districts,  and  the  food  con- 
servation agents  in  the  counties  of  each  district  were  under  the 
direction  of  a  district  leader.  A  sixth  district  leader  at  large 
was  chosen  to  go  from  county  to  county  to  aid  in  community 
organization. 


46 

The  six  district  leaders  were  under  the  direction  of  a  Central 
Ipod  Conservation  Committee  of  three  persons  who  had  their 
headquarters  at  the  New  York  State  College  of  Agriculture. 
Two  of  these  persons  represented  the  Department  of  Home 
Economics  of  the  'College,  and  the  third  the  county  farm  bureau. 
The  organization,  direction,  and  development  of  the  work  of  the 
food  conservation  agents  and  of  the  district  leaders  was  under 
this  central  committee.  The  subject-matter  specialists  and  six 
demonstrators  assisted  the  central  committee  in  preparing  and 
presenting  the  material  used  by  the  agents  in  their  county  and 
city  work. 

Up  to  August  15  this  work  was  maintained  on  the  funds  of 
the  New  York  State  Food  Supply  Commission  and  on  funds 
and  facilities  provided  locally.  Beginning  August  16  the  sala- 
ries of  the  agents  were  divided  equally  between  the  State  of  New 
York  and  the  United  States  Department  of  Agriculture  on  the 
special  war  emergency  appropriation  made  for  cooperation  with 
the  States.  The  federal  appropriation  was  a  very  great  aid  in 
the  larger  development  of  the  work. 

In  planning  this  work  the  Commission  had  the  advice  of  the 
following  committee: 

Dr.  W.  H.  Jordan,  Director,  New  York  State  Agricultural 
Experiment  Station. 

Miss  Elizabeth  Lange,  Buffalo  State  Normal  School. 

Director  Edward  Van  Alstyne  and  Mrs.  Ida  M.  Harring- 
ton, Bureau  of  Farmers'  Institutes  of  the  State  Department 
of  Agriculture. 

Miss  Isabel  Ely  Lord,  Pratt  Institute. 

Professor  L.  S.  Hawkins,  State  Department  of  Education. 

Miss  Marion  Van  Liew,  Albany  State  Normal  School. 

Miss  Mae  Benedict,  Mechanics  Institute. 

Miss  Angeline  Wood,  New  York  State  School  of  Agricul- 
ture, Alfred  University. 

Professors  Van  Rensselaer,  Rose,  Burritt,  Babcock,  and 
D.  J.  Crosby,  of  the  New  York  State  College  of  Agriculture. 

*Bhe  organization  of  a  county  or  a  city 

The  agents'  expenses.  The  food  conservation  agents  placed  in 
the  counties  and  cities  were  selected  by  the  central  committee  and 


47 

their  salaries  were  paid  from  the  state  and  federal  emergency 
funds.  The  counties  and  cities  having  agents  raised  the  money  to 
meet  all  local  expenses  of  the  agents,  such  as  travel,  office  equip- 
ment, stenographer,  etc.  These  expenses  were  required  to  be 
guaranteed  before  the  agent  was  appointed. 

First  step  in  organization.  In  counties  where  there  was  a  farm 
bureau,  the  work  was  introduced  through  the  executive  committee 
of  the  bureau.  A  county-wide  meeting  was  called  by  the  presi- 
dent of  the  bureau,  attended  by  a  member  of  the  Central  Food  Con- 
servation Committee  and  a  representative  of  the  executive  com- 
mittee of  the  farm  bureau,  to  determine  the  possibility  of  raising 
funds  to  support  a  food  conservation  agent.  Representatives  of 
the  larger  county  organizations  were  invited  to  be  present  at  the 
meeting.  The  Board  of  Supervisors  was  urged  to  aid  in  providing 
the  money.  If  the  county  did  not  have  a  farm  bureau  or  if  the 
farm  bureau  was  not  able  to  cooperate,  the  Central  Food  Conserva- 
tion Committee  perfected  an  organization  in  the  county  and 
arranged  for  raising  the  needed  funds. 

The  county  executive  committee.  When  the  funds  were  appro- 
priated, a  county  food  conservation  executive  committee  was 
chosen  to  aid  in  the  direction  and  organization  of  the  work  of  the 
county  food  conservation  agent.  This  committee  was  usually 
chosen  as  follows :  The  central  committee  invited  the  farm  bureau 
treasurer  to  act  as  the  treasurer  of  the  county  food  conservation 
committee.  A  representative  of  the  farm  bureau,  a  representa- 
tive of  the  county  home  defense  council,  and  a  representative  of 
the  grange,  were  selected  as  members  of  the  executive  committee. 
The  remaining  members  were  chosen  according  to  the  organization 
or  needs  of  the  county.  A  meeting  was  then  called  at  which  the 
district  leader,  and  the  county  agent,  if  possible,  were  present.  At 
this  meeting  the  county  executive  committee  and  the  district 
leader  charted  the  county  into  centers  and  determined  the  order  in 
which  centers  should  be  visited  by  the  county  agent.  When  these 
centers  had  been  determined,  the  county  executive  committee  and 
the  district  leader  appointed  temporary  local  or  community  com- 
mittees to  aid  in  organizing  community  meetings  in  the  chosen 
centers. 


48 


In  much  the  same  way,  except  for  the  cooperation  with  the  farm 
bureau,  executive  committees  were  established  in  the  organized 
cities  for  the  local  direction  of  the  work. 

The  preparation  of  the  food  conservation  agent  to  assume  her 

responsibility 

All  the  county  agents  chosen  were  graduates  of  home  economics- 
courses  in  recognized  institutions,  who  had  been  personally  inter- 
viewed by  some  member  of  the  central  committee  and  who  had 
received  training  in  one  of  the  special  emergency  training  courses 
given  by  the  Department  of  Home  Economics  of  the  New  York 
State  College  of  Agriculture  under  the  direction  of  the  central 
committee.  Three  of  these  emergency  schools  were  held,  the  first 
in  June,  the  second  in  July,  and  the  third  in  August.  About  150 
women  attended  these  courses,  and  from  these  were  selected  the  50 
women  who  represented  the  counties  and  most  of  the  cities  in  the 
food  conservation  work. 

The  following  institutions  were  represented  by  young  women 
attending  these  courses:  University  of  Chicago,  Stout  Institute,. 
Mechanics  Institute,  Teachers  College  of  Columbia  University, 
Syracuse  University,  Albany  State  Normal  School,  Simmons  Col- 
lege, Ontario  Agricultural  College,  Drexel  Institute,  Smith  Col- 
lege, Oswego  Normal  School,  Salem  College,  Michigan  State 
Normal  College,  Colorado  College. 

Progress  of  the  food  conservation  work 

The  statistical  tables  that  follow,  while  incomplete,  present  the 
tangible  results  attained  in  a  few  weeks  in  perfecting  the  organiza- 
tion and  in  getting  concrete  food  conservation  methods  in  opera- 
tion; but  such  results  are  not  a  complete  measure  of  the  work 
accomplished  or  of  the  aims  in  view.  Food  conservation  agents, 
leaders,  demonstrators,  committees,  and  community  kitchens  are 
but  means  to  an  end;  the  ultimate  aim  is  to  create  public  senti- 
ment, and  to  stimulate  individual  initiative  in  conservation.  The 
organization  of  the  work  has  been  the  largest  problem  up  to  this 
time,  and  it  has  been  fraught  with  many  complications.  The 
finding  of  adequately  prepared  food  conservation  agents  has  been 
extremely  difficult.  The  organization  is  now  nearly  completed,  and 


49 

these  agents  should  be  a  powerful  force  in  meeting  the  food  situa- 
tion during  the  continuance  of  the  war  and  in  the  period  of  stress 
that  will  immediately  follow.  They  aim  to  make  every  community 
in  the  State  efficient  and  to  the  largest  possible  degree  self-sus- 
taining. 

In  reading  the  following  tables  it  should  be  kept  in  mind  that 
the  work  is  yet  in  its  barest  beginnings. 


a 
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3.388 


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co  cTScot^      co  co      to  co>3  coco       co 


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51 


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52 


In  addition  to  the  foregoing  newly  organized  counties  for  the 
food  conservation  work,  the  following  counties  had  previously 
established  home  economics  departments  in  connection  with  their 
farm  bureaus.  The  agents  in  charge  of  these  departments  were 
appointed  as  special  representatives  of  the  Food  Supply  Commis- 
sion in  the  latter  part  of  July,  and  they  have  cooperated  in  carry- 
ing out  the  food  conservation  program  of  the  Commission: 


County 

Agent 

Demonstra- 
tions given 

Other 
meetings 

Tele- 
phone 
calls 

Calls 
at 
homes 

Circular 
letters 

Irci- 

v^du  1 

kt    is 

Num- 
ber 

At- 
tend- 
ance 

Num- 
ber 

At- 
tend- 
ance 

Num- 
ber 

Total 

Cortland. 
Ene 

MissE.  Beardsley. 
Miss  C.  Smith  .... 
Mrs.  V.  Godfrey... 
MissO.  Goehler... 
MissL.  Hale  

21 
17 

14 
38 
49 

340 
669 
379 
1,826 
1,170 

10 
8 
25 
19 
5 

10,272 
222 
1,292 

284 
776 

265 
97 
225 
303 

15 
7 
17 
19 
9 

8 
6 
1 
4 
2 

224 
404 
22 
398 
411 

145 
236 
248 
322 
249 

Jefferson. 
Nassau.  . 
Otsego  .  .  . 

139 

4,384 

67 

12,846 

890 

67 

21 

1,459 

1,202 
^ 

To  sum  up  the  conservation  work  of  the  New  York  State  Food 
Supply  Commission  in  rigid  facts  and  figures  is  like  trying  to 
define  the  outer  limit  of  the  ripples  on  a  lake  when  a  stone  is  cast 
into  it.  Definite,  tangible  achievements  have  resulted,  but  the 
influence  spreads  far  beyond  actual  achievement,  and  other  activi- 
ties have  been  set  in  motion  as  a  result  of  the  efforts  of  the 
Commission.  Figures  and  facts,  therefore,  do  not  tell  the  whole 
story.  In  Onondaga  County,  for  instance,  where  community 
kitchens  have  been  the  outgrowth  of  the  county  conservation  work, 
the  difficulty  of  buying  the  surplus  products  in  the  local  markets 
at  low  prices  led  to  the  establishment  of  a  curb  market  in  Syra- 
cuse, which  is  bringing  the  farmer  into  immediate  touch  with  the 
housewife. 

As  evidence  of  tangible  achievement,  thirty-five  county  con- 
servation agents  have  been  established,  five  counties  having 
already  established  home  demonstration  agents  in  connection 
with  their  farm  bureaus.  Nine  agents  have  been  placed  in  the 
cities  of  New  York,  Rochester,  Albany,  Syracuse,  Buffalo,  Utica, 
Auburn,  and  Rome,  and,  for  the  summer,  in  Saratoga  Springs. 

Through  these  forty-nine  definite  links  between  the  house- 
wife and  the  State  and  Federal  Governments,  963  food  demon- 
strations have  been  given  to  audiences  aggregating  37,000 


53 

women.  Twenty  thousand  women  have  been  reached  through 
other  meetings  in  churches,  clubs,  and  homes,  and  30,000  more 
through  fairs  and  picnics.  In  addition,  nearly  16,000  mimeo- 
graphed sheets  containing  last-word  information  on  food  ques- 
tions have  been  issued  from  the  conservation  headquarters  of  the 
New  York  State  Food  Supply  Commission. 

Scope  of  agent's  work 

The  scope  of  the  county  or  city  conservation  agent's  work  is 
bounded  only  by  the  needs  of  the  community.  She  reaches  the 
housewives  of  the  county  by  a  series  of  demonstrations  on  all 
phases  of  food  conservation  —  drying,  canning,  salting  of  vege- 
tables, canning  of  meat  and  fish,  preserving,  jelly  making,  meat 
substitutes,  wheat-saving  breads,  planning  of  meals,  uses  of  milk, 
etc.  She  forms  neighborhood  study  clubs,  encourages  the  forming 
of  community  canning  kitchens,  and  opens  up  channels  of  infor- 
mation through  clubs  and  other  organizations  and  through  the 
churches  and  the  newspapers,  thus  binding  the  individual  woman 
to  the  state  and  national  food  campaigns.  She  is  a  source  of 
reference  in  the  community,  and  a  medium  for  the  exchange  of 
experience. 

She  follows  a  program  that  helps  apply  the  efforts  of  the  house- 
wife to  the  immediate  problem  of  conservation:  in  June,  July, 
and  August,  encouraging  and  directing  preservation  by  the  can- 
ning, drying,  and  salting  of  vegetables  and  fruits  in  seasonal 
rotation;  in  September,  October,  and  November,  demonstrating 
varied  methods  of  preserving  the  orchard  fruits  and  stimulating 
the  quick  utilization  of  those  that  are  perishable,  and  presenting 
a  program  on  canning  poultry  and  meat,  on  the  storing  of  winter 
vegetables,  on  food  values,  on  meal  planning,  and  on  the  value  of 
milk  as  a  food  and  ways  of  using;  it.  The  latter  more  general 
subjects  will  be  developed  and  followed  through  the  winter. 

City  work 

Each  city  met  its  conservation  problem  according  to  its  own 
community  needs.  The  various  methods  were  as  follows: 

New  York,  In  New  York  City,  the  work  of  the  conservation 
agent  was  chiefly  in  connection  with  the  community  canning 
kitchen,  a  vast  undertaking  in  itself.  The  organization  was 
effected  on  July  12.  The  work  was  done  in  cooperation  with 
the  Mayor's  Committee  "of  Women  on  National  Defense  and 
other  local  organizations. 


54 

In  the  New  York  canning  and  drying  kitchen,  the  actual  work 
of  canning  was  in  charge  of  the  city  conservation  agent,  with  a 
small  group  of  workers  paid  by  the  Commission  and  the  Federal 
Government,  and  from  thirty  to  forty  volunteer  workers  a  day. 
The  kitchen  opened  the  middle  of  July  and  closed  the  1st  of 
October,  when  the  building  lent  by  the  school  authorities  had 
to  be  taken  over  for  school  use.  The  work  of  conservation,  how- 
ever, is  going  on,  under  the  supervision  of  the  city  agent,  in 
smaller  centers  throughout  the  city.  The  New  York  kitchen  put 
up  more  than  8000  quart  jars  of  vegetables  and  preserves,  and 
gave  employment  to  375  volunteers  whose  work  was  paid  for 
in  fresh  or  canned  foods.  In  addition  to  salting,  drying,  and 
canning,  fresh  foods  were  sold  to  the  people  at  low  prices.  An 
average  of  3000  pounds  of  potatoes  a  day  were  salvaged  and 
sold  to  the  poor  at  one  cent  a  pound.  Through  the  kitchen  ten 
tons  of  food  which  otherwise  would  have  been  dumped  into  the 
river  have  been  saved.  This  has  helped  to  create  the  public 
demand  that  transportation  of  food  in  New  York  City  shall 
be  so  improved  that  the  farmer  will  not  be  subjected  to  such 
heavy  wastage  and  the  consumer  will  have  a  larger  proportion 
of  the  foodstuffs  arriving  at  terminals. 

Buffalo.  In  Buffalo,  where  headquarters  were  established  on 
July  30,  two  main  lines  of  effort  were  through  the  public  school 
system  and  through  a  thrift  kitchen  with  an  agent  and  ten  volun- 
teer workers  in  charge.  Demonstrations  were  given  in  the  schools 
during  the  summer,  and,  through  cooperation  with  the  Board  of 
Education,  extension  work  in  food  conservation  is  planned  for 
two  nights  a  week  throughout  the  winter.  The  thrift  kitchen, 
opened  the  17th  of  September,  has  had  1000  visitors,  has  enrolled 
94  volunteer  workers,  has  dried  84  bushels  of  raw  material  which 
otherwise  would  have  been  wasted,  and  has  preserved  227  quarts 
of  fruit  which  will  go  to  feed  our  soldiers;  it  has  sent  out  5000 
church  announcements  and  2150  dodgers  announcing  the  work. 

Rochester.  The  city  of  Rochester  was  organized  into  five  dis- 
tricts, with  a  committee  of  five  in  each  district.  Weekly  demon- 
strations and  lectures  were  given  in  each  district,  and  general  pub- 
lic demonstrations  were  given  at  Mechanics  Institute. 

Utica,  In  Utica  a  similar  districting  plan  was  adopted,  with 
the  city  and  suburbs  charted  in  nineteen  districts,  to  some  extent 


55 

according  to  nationality  where  that  was  possible.  In  each  district 
there  is  a  committee  of  fifteen  working  under  a  central  advisory 
committee  of  four.  The  district  committees  make  house-to-house 
canvasses  to  win  the  cooperation  of  the  housewives  in  the  food  cam- 
paign. Demonstrations  on  practical  subjects  are  held  at  regular 
intervals  in  various  districts. 

Albany,  The  conservation  work  in  Albany  will  crystallize 
during  the  winter  months  in  a  lunch  room,  where  model  dishes 
conforming  to  thrift  ideas  will  be  served,  the  work  of  the  lunch 
room  to  be  done  by  seniors  from  the  State  Normal  College  under 
the  supervision  of  the  conservation  agent.  In  addition  to  this, 
the  headquarters  of  the  agent  will  be  made  a  center  of  information 
on  all  food  questions,  as  well  as  an  exchange  for  the  selling  of 
home  products.  Books,  pamphlets,  charts,  and  exhibits  on  food 
and  household  problems,  will  be  gathered  there  for  use  and  refer- 
ence. Women  from  outside  the  city,  as  well  as  Albany  house- 
wives, will  be  encouraged  to  bring  their  canned  and  dried  fruits 
and  vegetables  and  put  them  on  sale  in  the  agent's  headquarters. 
Throughout  the  summer  the  city  food  conservation  agent  super- 
vised community  kitchens  established  in  the  schoolhouses,  gave 
regular  demonstrations  to  groups  of  women,  and  mailed  instruc- 
tion sheets  to  women  who  were  unable  to  attend  the  demonstra- 
tions and  lectures. 

Other  cities.  In  Syracuse,  Auburn,  and  Rome,  similar  pro- 
grams of  conservation  were  outlined  for  the  winter.  In  Saratoga 
Springs  the  agent  worked  in  connection  with  a  community  kitchen, 
to  be  mentioned  later. 

Community  kitchens 

No  work  in  the  State  conservation  campaign  has  been  more 
fruitful  of  results  than  the  community  canning  kitchens,  where 
women  have  gathered  to  can  the  surplus  of  their  own  gardens  and 
near-by  farms.  More  than  a  hundred  of  these  kitchens  have  been 
established  in  response  to  the  need  for  quick  preservation  of  the 
crops  raised  in  response  to  an  appeal  to  patriotism.  Westchester 
County  alone  had  eighteen  kitchens,  with  an  aggregate  output  of 
30,000  quarts.  Not  all  of  these  have  been  definitely  linked  with  the 
State  Commission,  even  though  they  may  have  resulted  from  the 
stimulus  by  state  and  government  work  and  received  help  from 
the  conservation  agents  and  the  farm  bureaus.  In  many  kitchens 


56 

the  women  can  their  own  products  under  careful  supervision;  in 
others,  the  canning  is  done  on  shares,  the  kitchen  receiving  part, 
the  donor  of  the  material  the  remainder.  Most  of  the  output  will 
go  to  the  needy  at  home  or  abroad,  thus  lessening  the  drain  on  the 
food  supply  and  helping  to  avert  hunger.  Some  of  these  kitchens 
will  continue  during  the  winter,  and  many  of  them  will  doubtless 
be  permanent  summer  undertakings  in  the  future. 

The  plans  and  organization  of  the  kitchens  differ  slightly,  but 
the  one  fact  common  to  all  is  that  a  large  part  of  the  material 
canned  would  otherwise  have  gone  to  waste ;  and  beyond  the  actual 
conserving  of  food  is  the  educative  effect  of  tying  various  elements 
of  a  community  together  in  a  cooperative  food-saving  plan. 

In  Onondaga  County,  a  group  of  three  kitchens  were  started 
during  the  summer  and  were  operated  under  the  immediate  super- 
vision of  the  county  conservation  agent.  These  were  located  at 
Solvay,  Fayetteville,  and  Skaneateles. 

Solvay<  The  Solvay  kitchen,  in  operation  from  the  last  of 
May,  had  up  to  the  1st  of  October  put  up  7000  cans  of  fruit  and 
vegetables.  It  worked  in  cooperation  with  the  local  school  organi- 
zation, the  domestic  science  teachers  being  employed  through  the 
summer  to  help  with  the  work.  It  used  the  products  of  the  school 
gardens,  and  had  the  assistance  of  the  school  children  in  harvesting 
and  preparing  materials.  The  kitchen  was  started  by  a  local 
organization  of  women,  the  Solvay  Guild,  the  Commission's  agent 
aiding  in  its  operation  during  the  summer. 

Fayetteville,  vThe  Fayetteville  kitchen,  also  started  in  May, 
put  up  during  the  summer  600  cans  of  fruits  and  vegetables  and 
dried  50  pounds  of  material,  all  of  which  was  donated.  The  labor, 
of  this  kitchen  was  all  voluntary,  welding  together  old  and  young, 
using  groups  of  Boy  Scouts  and  schoolgirls.  It  was  operated  b\r  a 
club  of  young  women  with  the  backing  of  the  Men's  Community 
Club,  and  was  directed  by  the  Commission's  agent. 

Skaneateles.-  The  Skaneateles  kitchen,  established  the  last  of 
August  and  closing  the  1st  of  October,  canned  300  jars  of  fruits 
and  vegetables,  all  the  produce  for  which  was  donated  from  near-by 
gardens.  The  labor  was  all  voluntary.  The  kitchen  was  located 
in  the  home  of  a  resident. 

Saratoga  Springs.  Under  the  supervision  of  the  county  agent 
of  the  Commission,  a  community  canning  kitchen  was  organized 


57 

at  Saratoga  Springs  on  August  25.  Because  of  the  summer 
visitors  in  Saratoga,  the  kitchen  was  a  center  of  information  for 
people  from  places  as  far  separated  as  California,  Georgia,  and 
Massachusetts.  Of  the  foods  canned  for  outsiders,  the  output  was 
409  quarts  of  vegetables  and  238  glasses  of  jelly,  and  on  com- 
munity days  the  women  canned  459  quarts  of  vegetables  and  31 
glasses  of  jam  and  conserve  for  themselves.  Many  of  the  farmeis 
near  by  sent  in  vegetables  and  fruits  to  be  preserved  on  shares. 

Binghamton  and  other  kitchens. —  In  Binghamton,  where  the 
county  agent  helped  launch  a  community  kitchen,  1200  cans  of 
perishable  food  were  saved.  In  White  Plains,  at  the  Westchester 
kitchen,  the  conservation  agent  lent  her  services  part  of  the  time 
and  the  kitchen  conserved  10, 000  quarts  of  products.  In  the 
Hicksville,  Long  Island,  canning  kitchen,  started  by  two  philan- 
thropic women  partly  in  cooperation  with  the  farm  bureau, 
between  12,000  and  15,000  quarts  of  canned  goods  were  put  up, 
all  of  which  it  is  intended  shall  go  to  the  soldiers  and  to  worn  n 
and  children  in  France  and  Belgium. 

Other  group  activities 

In  addition  to  the  canning  kitchens,  women  have  gathered  in 
groups  for  many  kinds  of  food  activities.  Study  clubs  have  been 
formed  and  housewives  have  been  brought  together  for  exchange 
of  experience  so  that  energies  and  effort,  as  well  as  food,  m'ght  be 
conserved.  In  Ohenango  County  three  women  bought  a  pressure 
canner  and  started  doing  their  own  canning  together,  later  offering 
to  help  with  their  neighbors'  canning,  all  of  which  was  done  under 
the  supervision  and  direction  of  the  food  conservation  agent. 
In  the  same  county  the  agent  helped  to  construct  a  homemade 
drier  for  one  family,  which  served  as  a  model  for  adoption  by 
others  in  the  neighborhood.  In  Mottville,  Onondaga  County,  a 
factory  town,  the  owner  of  one  of  the  factories,  after  seeing  a 
demonstration  by  the  county  agent,  offered  to  his  employees  the 
use  of  two  steam  retorts  in  his  factory  for  canning  on  Saturday 
afternoons  and  Sundays,  with  a  man  on  hand  to  keep  up  the 
steam  pressure,  and  kettles  of  boiling  water  in  which  to  blanch 
the  vegetables. 

In  Seneca  County,  a  farm  woman  who  had  been  shipping  her 
cherries  to  the  Philadelphia  market  found  them  spoiling  because 
of  rain.  Word  was  sent  to  the  conservation  agent,  and  sbe 


58 


assembled  a  group  of  women  who  went  to  the  farm  and  by  their 
joint  efforts  established  a  home  cannery  and  preserved  for  winter 
use  the  crop  that  was  about  to  go  to  waste. 

In  other  places  groups  of  women  went  into  the  fruit  orchards 
and  did  their  canning  there,  in  order  to  save  transportation  and 
avoid  spoilage. 

In  Rockland  County  the  agent  found  certain  communities  facing 
a  scarcity  of  vegetables  while  others  had  a  surplus.  Telephone 
clubs  were  organized  to  establish  a  quick  chain  of  communication 
between  demand  and  supply.  At  Tompkins  Cove,  Kockland 
County,  one  day  was  set  aside  for  community  canning.  Twenty- 
five  men  and  women  assisted  the  agent,  and  during  one  forenor/n 
twenty-five  gallons  of  lima  beans  and  corn  were  canned,  the  after- 
noon being  given  over  to  a  demonstration  on  preserving  plums, 
peaches,  tomatoes,  and  crab  apples. 

Groups  of  factory  girls  in  Onondaga  County  have  agreed  to 
give  part  of  their  luncheon  hour  to  food  work  under  the  conser- 
vation agent. 

Conservation  through  the  thrift  train,  fairs,  and  other  means 

The  thrift  train.  One  of  the  important  and  effective  instru- 
ments in  the  food  conservation  campaign  was  the  "  Thrift 
Special/''  which  went  through  the  heart  of  New  York  State  on  the 
New  York  Central  lines,  with  demonstrators  furnished  by  the 
Xew  York  State  Food  Supply  Commission  in  cooperation  with 
the  Department  of  Home  Economics  of  the  SLate  College  of 
Agriculture. 

This  itinerant  school  of  food  conservation,  through  grapVc 
exhibits  of  canned  and  dried  products  and  practical  equipment 
for  use  in  preservation  of  food,  through  distribution  of  state  and 
federal  bulletins  on  food  questions,  through  daily  demonstration* 
on  canning,  and  through  the  interchange  that  comes  by  actual 
contact,  drove  home  the  lesson  of  national  thrift.  Twenty  points 
were  touched,  with  audiences  averaging  150  persons  a  day.  The 
country  through  which  the  car  passed  was  placarded  with  word 
of  the  demonstrations  and  a  call  to  enlist  in  the  cause  of  food 
saving. 

County  fairs.  At  twenty-three  fairs  in  the  State,  county  food 
conservation  agents  have  either  had  exhibits  or  have  given  demon- 
strations, reaching  an  audience  of  about  20,000  wo^nen,  in  addi- 


59 

tion  to  the  great  numbers  who  received  the  message  at  the  State 
Fair  at  Syracuse.  At  each  of  these  assemblages  exhibits  told 
vividly  the  need  of  saving  the  products  that  are  scarce,  how  to 
substitute  other  foods,  and  how  to  dry  and  salt  perishable  foods. 

The  State  Fair.  At  the  State  Fair  at  Syracuse,  the  whole  story 
of  conservation  was  told  in  exhibits  of  canned  and  preserved  foods, 
of  dried  products  and  equipment  for  home  drying,  of  wheat- 
saving  breads,  of  meat  savers,  of  milk,  of  the  many  varieties  of 
beans  and  their  uses,  and  of  ways  of  saving  and  utilizing  fats. 
Demonstrations  on  these  subjects  were  given  to  large  audiences. 
The  story  of  bread  making  was  told  in  motion  pictures.  Copies 
of  recipes  and  directions  bearing  upon  conservation  of  food  were 
distributed  in  large  quantities.  At  the  bread  exhibit  small  loaves 
of  several  kinds  of  wheat-substitute  breads  were  baked  in  the 
army  oven  and  sold  for  two  cents  apiece  with  the  recipes  for 
making.  The  lesson  of  wheat  saving  was  markedly  vivid  and 
effective;  the  bread  made  its  own  plea. 

Window  exhibits.  Shop  windows  and  department  stores  have 
been  used  to  tell  the  story  of  conservation  in  the  state  campaign, 
thus  reaching  persons  who  could  not  be  assembled  in  a  formal 
demonstration  or  meeting  of  any  kind.  In  Delaware  County  the 
First  National  Bank  of  Walton  gave  the  use  of  one  of  its  front 
windows  for  an  exhibit  of  canned  products,  canning  utensils,  and 
literature.  One  of  the  local  hardware  stores  lent  the  utendls. 
The  exhibit  attracted  a  great  deal  of  attention  and  brought  many 
requests  for  information  and  literature,  from  both  the  town  and 
the  visiting  country  people.  The  county  agent  was  in  the  bank 
for  ten  days  to  respond  to  the  questions  and  explain  the  exhibit. 
Another  bank  in  the  same  county  offered  its  window  for  a  similar 
exhibit  later. 

Indications  of  the  increase  in  food  preserved 

It  is  too  early  for  a  complete  record  of  canned  foods  in  com- 
parison with  the  supply  of  former  years.  From  an  early  survey, 
however,  there  is  little  doubt  that  there  is  an  enormous  increase 
of  food  laid  away  against  the  lean  months.  One  community 
kitchen  has  a  sum  total  of  10,000  cans  of  food  that  would  have 
gone  to  waste,  another  of  8000,  and  another  of  12,000.  Families 
who  never  before  have  done  anything  toward  food  preservation 
have  one  or  two  hundred  jars  on  their  shelves  this  year.  The  Gov- 
ernment has  estimated  for  33  States  in  the  Union  300  per  cent 


60 

more  canned  and  dried  goods  than  in  1916.  We  may  expect  that 
~New  York  will  not  fall  behind  the  other  States  in  the  final  total. 
"A  decided  increase  is  given  in  number  of  filled  cans  in  every 
household/'  writes  one  agent.  Another  writes :  "  In  three  fami- 
lies I  know  there  has  been  an  increase  of  a  hundred  quarts  of 
vegetables  each,  due  to  the  work  of  food  conservation  in  the 
county."  A  third  writes :  "  There  has  been  a  200-per-ceiit 
increase  in  the  amount  of  vegetables  preserved  —  due  almost 
entirely  to  the  demonstrations." 

Increase  in  the  canning  of  vegetables 

Women  have  always  preserved  and  made  jellies,  but  the  canning 
of  vegetables  has  been  introduced  into  hundreds  of  families  who 
never  before  have  attempted  it.  Canning  vegetables  is  difficult; 
there  is  great  chance  of  failure.  The  method  whereby  there  is 
least  risk  has  been  broadly  taught  through  the  agents,  and  the 
probability  of  waste  from  spoilage  has  been  very  greatly  reduced. 
"  Many  women  are  canning  vegetables  this  year  who  never  did 
before,"  reports  the  food  conservation  agent  in  Franklin  County. 
In  Ontario  County  the  agent  in  one  month  came  in  contact  with  at 
least  a  hundred  women  who  are  canning  vegetables  this  year  for 
the  first  time.  "At  least  a  hundred  women,"  reports  the  Erie 
County  agent,  "  are  canning  chicken  and  fowls  as  well  as  ham  in 
addition  to  their  vegetable  canning." 

A  report  credited  to  the  National  Emergency  Food  Garden  Com- 
mission states  that  during  the  past  season  more  than  500,000,000 
quart  jars  of  fruits  and  vegetables  have  been  put  up  in  the  homes 
in  the  United  States,  or  nearly  three  times  the  normal  amount. 

The  educational  leaven 

One  woman  came  twenty  miles  to  learn  from  a  demonstration 
agent  why  sixteen  jars  of  chicken  she  had  canned  the  year  before 
had  spoiled.  She  found  out  and  went  back  to  can  by  a  better 
method.  In  large  numbers,  women  whose  canning  has  had  a  large 
proportion  of  spoilage  have  been  set  right  as  to  the  reasons. 
Through  the  food  meetings  they  have  asked  questions,  they  have 
learned  that  there  is  a  reason  for  waste  and  spoilage,  and  the 
leaven  of  education  has  accomplished  as  much  toward  conservation 
as  the  actual  increase  in  canning  efforts.  A  Saratoga  County 
woman  exhibited  to  the  conservation  agent  fifty-five  different  prod- 
ucts canned,  dried,  and  salted,  every  one  of  which  was  raised  in  her 
own  back  yard. 


61 

Another  valuable  lesson  of  the  conservation  work  has  been  the 
introduction  of  new  and  untried  vegetables  and  foods  in  the 
dietary  of  many  families.  Through  the  demonstrations  and  the 
exhibiting  of  new  foods,  kohl-rabi,  swiss  chard,  okra,  and  vegetable 
marrow  have  been  popularized  where  before  they  were  hardly 
more  than  a  name.  Prejudices  are  being  broken  down  and  con- 
servative food  habits  are  becoming  more  elastic  and  flexible. 

Class  and  kind  of  people  reached 

The  seed  of  food  conservation  has  been  widely  scattered.  In 
many  of  the  canning  kitchens,  the  very  wealthy  have  worked  side 
by  side  with  the  very  poor,  mistresses  elbow  to  elbow  with  their 
maids.  In  the  delivery  of  the  products  of  the  New  York  canning 
kitchen  to  the  volunteer  workers,  many  of  the  products  went  to 
single  women  living  in  top-floor  tenements  who  never  before  had 
had  canned  goods  except  those  bought  from  the  corner  store ;  while 
women  whose  names  are  in  the  "  Social  Kegister  "  have  been  their 
companions  over  the  canning  kettle.  That  democratizing,  socializ- 
ing influence  has  been  one  of  the  largest  gains  of  the  whole 
campaign. 

Reaching  the  housewife  from  foreign  lands 
Special  efforts  were  made  to  reach  the  women  from  foreign 
lands.  Signs  bearing  on  the  food  situation  were  translated  into 
their  native  languages.  In  the  New  York  canning  kitchen,  an 
effort  was  made  to  learn  from  the  foreign  women  their  native 
dishes,  so  that  the  approach  to  their  cooperation  might  be  in  line 
with  their  own  food  habits  and  traditions,  and  that  the  American 
housewife,  in  turn,  might  learn  something  of  their  methods  of 
thrift.  The  cosmopolitan  scope  of  a  city  agent's  work  may  be 
gathered  from  one  week's  report  of  the  Buffalo  agent,  which  gives 
the  type  of  people  attending  demonstrations  under  the  varied 
headings,  mixed,  wealthy,  German,  Italian,  poor  American, 
Polish,  German  <and  American,  Jewish,  well-to-do,  poor,  Irish.  In 
Gl overs ville,  the  center  of  the  glove  industry,  the  agent  was  put 
to  a  test  as  to  how  to  reach  the  people.  The  glove  makers  work  in 
their  homes  to  a  great  extent,  and  consequently  the  agent  went  to 
them  instead  of  trying  to  bring  them  to  a  meeting. 

Significant  facts 

An  agent  writes :  "  Wednesday  I  drove  72  miles  to  call  on  three 
people.  The  personal  call  is  the  only  way  to  reach  some  of  the 


62 

people.  I  had  a  cordial  reception  in  each  place."  Another  says : 
"  Two  women  walked  three  miles  to  a  demonstration  but  reached 
there  too  late.  They  were  so  disappointed  that  I  went  through  it 
again." 

The  manager  of  a  tea  room  in  a  town  where  an  agent  was  hold- 
ing demonstrations,  after  attending  one,  asked  the  agent's  advice 
as  to  how  to  save  the  large  quantities  of  fats  left  from  frying  and 
broiling.  The  agent  gave  practical  directions  and  the  tea-room 
manager  later  came  in  to  show  the  evidence  of  her  thrift. 

In  one  small  town  where  there  was  a  community  kitchen,  the 
women  in  charge  went  to  a  local  grocer  and  asked  him  to  donate 
the  fruits  and  vegetables  he  was  unable  to  sell.  The  merchant's 
cooperation  was  completely  won  when  he  was  offered  one-third  of 
the  product  back  in  canned  goods  to  sell  at  his  own  price.  One 
woman,  whose  vegetables  were  spoiling  because  of  slow  shipping, 
got  the  cooperation  of  her  neighbors  and  of  the  conservation 
agent  and  saved  all  her  crop  through  a  home  cannery.  To  date  she 
has  sold  $200  worth  of  canned  goods. 

In  Buffalo  the  agent  began  the  salvage  of  the  outside  leaves  of 
celery  thrown  away  by  the  market  men,  by  drying  them  in  the 
thrift  kitchen.  Now  the  housewife  demands  of  her  dealer  that  he 
leave  the  outside  stalks  on  for  use  in  soups  or  for  drying. 

"  Many  women,"  reports  an  agent,  "  had  never  before  used  dark 
flours  for  anything  but  one  or  two  varieties  of  bread.  Now  cakes, 
fried  cakes,  quick  breads,  are  being  made  from  rye,  corn,  entire 
wheat,  barley,  oats.  We  are  making  an  effort  to  have  these  prod- 
ucts ground  fresh  in  local  mills." 

Two  truck-garden  owners  brought  a  thousand  ears  of  corn  to  a 
community  kitchen  to  be  canned  on  shares.  When  they  saw  the 
perfect  result  they  paid  for  the  canning  and  took  the  whole  lot 
home,  with  recipes  of  the  method  to  be  given  to  their  wives.  This 
is  one  of  the  innumerable  incidents  showing  the  interest  that  men 
took  in  the  food  conservation  work. 

Mailing  cards  issued 

Mailing  cards  were  prepared  by  members  of  the  staff  of  the 
State  College  of  Agriculture,  and  issued  under  frank  of  the 
Director  of  Extension  in  cooperation  with  the  New  York  State 
Food  Supply  Commission.  The  following  were  the  subjects 
treated,  together  with  the  number  of  copies  issued  in  each  case: 


63 

Use  of  rhubarb 75,000 

Canning  meat  75,000 

Dandelions  as  food 75,000 

Dandelion  recipes  75,000 

Multiple  hitches  50,000 

Preservation  of  eggs  in  water  glass 75,000 

Some  ways  of  getting  along  without  the  hired  man  50,000 

The  productive  soil 40,000 

Apple  spray  schedule 5,000 

A  homemade  fireless  cooker 30,000 

Salting  vegetables  30,000 

Equipment  for  canning 30,000 

Directions  for  canning  fruit  by  the  cold-pack  method  30,000 

Emergency  crops  and  rotations 25,000 

Buckwheat  and  rye 25,000 

Winter  rye  and  winter  wheat  on  sod  land 25,000 

Rye  and  clover — a  two-years'  rotation 25,000 

Directions  for  canning  vegetables  by  the  cold-pack 

method 25,000 

Conserve  the  manure 25,000 

Drying  fruits  and  vegetables  in  the  home 100,000 

How  to  dry  fruits  and  vegetables 25,000 

A  simple  fruit  and  vegetable  drier 25,000 

Jelly 150,000 

Ways  of  preserving  beans  and  peas 100,000 

How  to  make  an  iceless  refrigerator 150,000 

Suggestions  to  vegetable  growers  on  marketing. . .  25,000 

Ways  of  preserving  tomatoes 150,000 

Fruit  juices 150,000 

Save  the  fats  —  Part  I 150,000 

Save  the  fats  —  Part  II 150,000 

Rejuvenation  of  old  worn  meadows  and  plowable 

run-out  pastures 25,000 

Ways  of  preserving  peaches 200,000 

Making  kraut  for  home  use  or  market 50,000 

Fall  spraying  for  peach  leaf  curl 15,000 

A  dozen  kinds  of  bread 150,000 


Total  cards 2,405,000 


REPORT  OF  THE  DIVISION  OF  COUNTY  ORGANIZATION 

M.  C.   BUBRITT,   Commissioner  in  Charge 

The  Division  of  County  Organization  was  created  by  resolu- 
tion of  the  Commission  at  its  meeting  on  April  24. 

PURPOSES  OF  THE  DIVISION 

The  two  main  purposes  of  the  Division  of  County  Organization 
were : 

1.  The  Commission  desired  to  develop  the  local  organization 
and  machinery  for  meeting  farmers  individually  and  personally. 
By  getting  into  immediate  touch  with  their  conditions  and  needs 
it  aimed  to  place  itself  in  a  position  to  render  the  most  acceptable 
and  efficient  service. 

2.  To  provide  the  means  of  carrying  out  in  every  county  the 
work  planned  by  other  divisions  of  the  Commission,  it  was  neces- 
sary to  have  in  every  county  a  local  office  properly  equipped  and 
manned  with  the  necessary  means  of  reaching  the  largest  number 
of  individual  farmers.     This  meant  a  local  clearing  house,  meet- 
ing local  needs  and  aiming  to  extend  this  work  to  every  com- 
munity in  the  county. 

HOW  THE  DIVISION  WAS  ORGANIZED 

From  the  beginning  of  its  work,  the  Commission  planned  to 
utilize  agricultural  agencies  already  in  the  field,  as  far  as  this  was 
consistent  with  the  continued  efficiency  of  these  agencies  and  of 
the  Commission  itself.  With  this  in  mind,  the  Commission 
turned  to  the  farm  bureau  organization,  with  centrally  located 
county  offices  and  an  already  well-developed  organization  in  forty- 
one  counties  of  the  State.  These  county  farm  bureaus  are 
Cooperatively  organized  and  supported  by  the  State  and  Federal 
Governments,  through  their  respective  departments  of  agriculture 
and  the  State  College  of  Agriculture,  and  by  the  farmers  of  the 
respective  counties,  through  county-wide  farmers'  organizations 
known  as  farm  bureau  associations.  The  bureaus  are  therefore 
a  partnership  organization  between  public  agricultural  institu- 
tions, represented  by  a  State  Leader  of  Farm  Bureaus  at  Ithaca, 
and  the  farmers  of  the  counties,  represented  by  their  executive  com- 
mittees of  from  seven  to  nine  men  elected  by  their  respective 

county  associations. 

[64] 


65 

These  executive  committees  and  the  State  Leader  of  Farm 
Bureaus,  together  select  and  employ  a  county  agent,  or  farm 
bureau  manager,  to  have  active  charge  of  the  work  in  the  county. 
A  further  feature  of  the  organization  is  an  advisory  committee 
system  which  extends  into  each  community  in  the  county,  where 
the  bureau  is  represented  by  a  committee  consisting  of  from  one 
to  five  leading  farmers.  All  the  work  of  the  bureaus  in  the 
various  communities  is  carried  on  through  these  local  advisory 
committeemen.  Thus  an  organization  extending  to  nearly  every 
agricultural  community  in  the  forty-one  organized  counties  was 
available.  Following  the  conference  with  the  presidents  and 
representatives  of  the  Farm  Bureau  Association,  held  at  Ithaca 
on  April  17,  arrangements  were  made  by  the  Commission  to 
utilize  this  organization  in  carrying  out  its  plans  for  work. 

The  farm  bureau  offices  are  usually  located  in  the  county  seats. 
These  offices  are,  as  a  rule,  furnished  with  the  necessary  person- 
nel, equipment,  and  supplies  to  carry  on  their  regular  work. 
Each  manager  is  provided  with  an  automobile  for  getting  about 
the  county.  '  In  some  cases,  assistants  also  are  available.  The 
Commission  therefore  appointed  each  county  agricultural  agent, 
or  farm  bureau  manager,  its  special  representative.  In  order  not 
to  interfere  toa  seriously  with  the  regular  work  of  the  farm 
bureaus,  special  assistants,  who  were  called  assistant  representa- 
tives of  the  Commission,  were  assigned  to  most  of  the  counties. 
The  maximum  number  of  assistants  placed  at  any  one  time  was 
37 ;  the  number  averaged  about  30  during  the  summer.  On  Sep- 
tember 1  only  27  assistants  remained  at  work.  These  assistants 
were  placed  under  the  general  direction  of  the  county  agents. 
Their  salaries  and  expenses  were  paid  by  the  Commission  and 
they  were  expected  to  give  first  attention  to  the  Commission's 
work.  However,  to  offset  the  time,  attention,  and  service  given 
by  the  regular  county  agents  to  the  Commission's  work,  the 
assistants  were  expected  to  help  the  county  agent  with  his  regular 
work  whenever  possible. 

In  some  cases  the  extra  work  which  devolved  upon  the  county 
organization  was  so  great  that  the  Commission  was  obliged  to 
furnish  additional  stenographic  help ;  in  all  cases  the  Commission 
agreed  to  assume  a  fair  proportion  of  the  additional  expenses 
thrown  upon  the  local  farm  bureau  organization  as  a  result  of 
the  emergency  work.  In  spite  of  this,  however,  heavy  inroads 
were  made  on  the  reserve  funds  of  all  the  bureaus.  Some  of  them 


66 


had  to  go  to  the  boards  of  supervisors  for  additional  appropria- 
tions, while  others  will  finish  the  season's  work  with  serious 
financial  deficits,  as  a  result  of  the  emergency  work  which  the 
Commission  did  not  pay  for. 

The  counties  having  this  organization,  with  the  location  of 
their  offices  and  the  names  of  the  representatives  (regular  county 
agricultural  agents)  and  assistant  representatives  in  each  county, 
follow : 


County 

Name  of  representative 
and  of  assistant 

Address 

Albany 

H.  E.  Crouch   

93  Court  House  Albany 

Allegany  
Broome  

R.  C.  Van  Horn  
R.  Q.  Smith  
G.  E.  LeWorthy  
J.  F.  Eastman  
H.  J.  Rood  

93  Court  House,  Albany 
Belmont 
Belmont 
Binghamton 
Binghamton 

Cattaraugus  

H.  K.  Crofoot  

Olean 

H  J  Metzgar 

Olean 

Cayuga  

E.  C.  Weatherby  
W.  E  Knapp 

Auburn 
Auburn 

Chautauqua 

H.  B.  Rogers 

Jamestown 

R.  F.  Fricke 

Jamestown 

Chemung 

T.  W.  Vann 

Elmira 

Chenan^o 

A.  S.  Burchard  
E.  P.  Smith        

Elmira 
Norwich 

Clinton 

T.  W.  Billings  
C.  B.  Tillson  

Norwich 
Pittsburgh 

Cortland 

A.  S.  Merchant    

Cortland 

Delaware  
Dutchess      

W.  T.  Merrick  
Earl  G.  Brougham  
O.  H.  Chapin  
F.  H.  Lacy  

Cortland 
Walton 
Walton 
Poughkeepsie 

G.  N.  Hammond  

Poughkeepsie 

Erie  

W.  L.  Markham  

Buffalo 

R  W  Pease 

Buffalo 

Essex 

H  J  Tillson 

Essex 

P  B  Woodford 

Essex 

Franklin 

C.  M.  Austin 

M  alone 

J.  M.  Hurley 

Malone 

Greene 

C  W.  Gilbert 

Catskill 

Herkimer 

G.  C.  Porter  
C.  A.  Taylor  

Catskill 
Herkimer 

C.  F.  Cochrane  

Herkimer 

Jefferson        .•   

F.  E.  Robertson  

Watertown 

E  S  Stone 

Watertown 

Madison  
Monroe 

D.  F.  Putnam  
J.  L.  Finneran  
L  A  Toan 

Cazenovia 
Cazenovia 
Rochester 

J.  L.  Laycock              .... 

Rochester 

M  ontgomery 

W.  J.  Hagar           

Canajoharie 

B  A.  Allen             

Canajoharie 

Nassau 

T.  M.  Avery       

Mineola 

Niagara 

M.  G.  Briggs  
N.  R.  Peet      

Mineola 
Lockport 

J.  W.  Robson.  . 

Lockport 

County 

Name  of  representative 
and  of  assistant 

Address 

0  F  Ross 

Utica 

Onondaga  
Orange   

A.  D.  Davies  
J.  R.  Teall  
E.  G.  Bucknell  
T.  E.  Milliman  

Utica 
Syracuse 
Syracuse 
Middletown 

Orleans                             

J.  C.  Crissey  
L.  J.  Steele  

Middletown 
Albion 

H  G  Chapin 

Albion 

Oswego 

E  V  Underwood          .    . 

Oswego 

F.  A.  Wangler        

Oswego 

Otsego 

F.  S.  Barlow  

Cooperstown 

D.  T.  Johnson    

Cooperstown 

Rensselaer                          .... 

N.  G.  Farber  

Troy 

P.  W.  Carter  

Troy 

Rockland  

L.  A.  Muckle  

Spring  Valley 

A  P  Burroughs 

Spring  Valley 

St.  Lawrence  

E.  S.  Bird  
C.  L.  Allen  

Canton 
Canton 

Saratoga 

C.  S.  Phelps               .    . 

Saratoga  Springs 

Schoharie       .    .           

R.  R.  Jansen  
R.  F.  Pollard     

Saratoga  Springs 
Cobleskill, 

Suffolk  

G.  W.  Gilbert  
R.  C.  Parker  

Cobleskill 
Riverhead 

Sullivan 

C.  W.  Creighton  
C  W  Wille* 

Riverhead 
Liberty 

Tioga  

E.  R.  Zimmer  

Owego 

G   L.  Kathan 

Owego 

Tompkins 

V  B  Blatchley 

Ithaca 

R.  C.  Beach 

Ithaca 

Ulster  

W.  H.  Hook  

Kingston 

John  Lennox  

Kingston 

Warren  

E.  W.  Cleeves  

Warrensburg 

Wayne  

F.  E.  Rogers  

Sodus 

E.  S.  Warner  

Sodus 

Westchester  

J.  G.  Curtis  

White  Plains 

Wyoming 

H.  M.  Bowen 

Warsaw 

H.  S.  Brower  .  . 

Warsaw 

*  Temporarily  acting. 

A  local  office  in  each  agricultural  county  in  the  State  seemed 
necessary  for  carrying  out  the  plans  of  the  Commission.  In  fif- 
teen of  the  agricultural  counties  there  existed  no  farm  bureau 
organization.  Extension  specialists  from  the  State  College  were 
temporarily  assigned  to  supervise  the  census  enumeration  in  these 
counties.  Within  about  ten  days  most  of  these  men  gave  place 
to  others  from  the  graduating  class  at  the  College,  who  assumed 
the  duties  of  county  representatives. 

First,  an  office  and  equipment  had  to  be  provided.     Usually  a 


68 


room  in  the  courthouse  was  donated  by  the  county  through  the 
influence  of  the  Home  Defense  Council  or  the  Board  of  Super- 
visors, on  the  request  of  the  county  representative  or  of  a  repre- 
sentative from  the  central  office.  In  two  counties,  Seneca  and 
Putnam,  desk  room  and  equipment  were  donated  by  individuals. 
In  two  other  counties,  office  room  was  rented.  In  all  cases  the 
Food  Supply  Commission  furnished  filing  equipment  and  other 
supplies. 

Each  chairman  of  a  county  home  defense  committee  was  asked 
by  the  Chairman  of  the  Food  Supply  Commission,  through  the 
Adjutant  General,  to  appoint  a  subcommittee  on  agriculture. 
This  was  to  establish  contact  between  the  county  office  of  the  Com- 
mission and  the  farmers  of  the  county.  The  subcommittee  was 
composed  of  leading  farmers  acting  in  an  advisory  capacity  with 
the  county  representatives  of  the  Commission,  through  whom  all 
county-wide  movements  pertaining  to  agriculture  could  be  handled. 
In  the  counties  already  having  farm  bureau  associations,  the 
executive  committee  of  that  organization  was  appointed  in  this 
capacity ;  in  the  non-bureau  counties  actual  farmers,  in  most  cases, 
were  appointed  to  these  positions.  Frequent  meetings  of  these 
committeemen  at  the  county  office,  and  personal  calls  on  them  by 
the  county  representative,  served  to  keep  the  Commission's  agents 
informed  of  the  needs  and  opinions  of  the  crop  producers.  The 
committeemen  also  provided  the  county  office  with  a  number  of 
representatives  throughout  the  county. 

The  counties  having  this  special  organization,  with  the  names  of 
the  representatives  and  their  locations,  follow : 


County 

Name  of  representative 

Address 

W.  I.  Roe  .  . 

Hudson 

Fulton  
Genesee  

N.  E.  Beers  
F.  P.  Cullinan  
N  C.  Rogers 

Gloversville 
Batavia 
Catskill 

H.  N.  Young 

Lowville 

H.  N.  Humphrey 

Mount  Morris 

O.  W.  Dynes  

Canandaigua 

G.  J.  Wright  

L.  A.  Muckle     

SprinF  Valley 

Schenectady 

S.  G.  Judd  

Schenectady 

Srhuvler 

H.  G.  Chapin  

Watkins 

Seneca        

H.  E.  Haslett  

Ovid 

Steuben                         ....... 

Jay  Gelder  

Bath 

"Washington              

F.  A.  Roper  

Hudson  Falls 

Yates                       

A.  F.  Lockwood  

Penn  Yan 

69 

On  July  1  the  office  in  Putnam  County  was  closed  because 
there  was  not  sufficient  demand  on  it  to  warrant  its  continuance. 
On  July  15  the  office  in  Schenectacly  County  was  closed  for  the 
same  reason.  On  September  1,  the  offices  in  Fulton,  Yates,  and 
Seneca  Counties  were  closed  because  of  the  resignations  of  the 
special  representatives.  The  usual  farm  bureau  organizations 
were  completed  and  regular  county  agents  were  installed  in  Rock- 
land  County  on  July  1  and  in  Greene  County  on  August  15. 

SUPERVISION 

These  county  representatives  and  their  assistants  were  under  the 
supervision  of  the  Commissioner  in  Charge  and  one  assistant, 
Professor  Montgomery  Robinson,  a  member  of  the  extension  staff 
of  the  New  York  State  College  of  Agriculture.  All  the  Commis- 
sion's representatives  furnished  weekly  reports  of  their  work. 
The  regular  county  agents  reported  as  usual  to  the  State  Leader's 
office. 

During  the  early  part  of  the  season,  the  farm  bureau  supervisory 
force  gave  a  large  part  of  its  time  and  attention  to  the  supervision 
of  the  emergency  work  of  the  Commission;  in  fact,  there  was 
serious  interference  with  the  regular  work  of  the  State  Leader's 
office.  During  the  latter  part  of  the  summer  the  work  became 
better  organized,  and  less  special  attention  was  necessary;  but 
supervision  by  the  State  Leader's  office  and  his  regular  force  has 
continued. 

A  record  of  such  of  the  work  of  the  county  offices  as  can  be 
reduced  to  tabular  form  is  here  appended,  and  shows  the  amount 
of  work  done  in  each  of  the  counties.  An  examination  of  the 
table  will  suggest  the  varying  methods  of  local  office  organiza- 
tion and  management.  In  some  cases  the  farm  bureau  agent 
did  all  the  field  work,  regular  arid  emergency,  while  the  Commis- 
sion's representative  handled  the  office  work;  in  other  cases 
nearly  the  reverse  was  true;  and  there  were  all  gradations 
between. 


70 


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Another  table  shows  as  follows,  in  parallel  columns,  partial 
summaries  of  the  usual  farm  bureau  activity  and  the  extra  work 
handled  by  the  emergency  organization: 

PAETIAL   SUMMARY   OF   ACTIVITIES   OF   REGULARLY   ORGANIZED 
FARM  BUREAUS  AXD  EMERGENCY  AGENCIES 

(April  to  August,  inclusive,  1917) 


Farm 
bureau 

Emer- 
gency 

Total 

Meetings  held  :  ... 

1,950 

486 

2  436 

Attendance  at  meetings 

90  423 

21  955 

112  378 

Farmers  visited  

12,274 

7  087 

19  361 

Letters  written  

38,940 

18,752 

57,692 

Circular  letters  written          .  .          .... 

1,269 

470 

1,739 

Circulation  of  circular  letters  .  . 

80,325 

84  ,  886 

165,211 

Office  calls  

30  ,  547 

17,770 

48  317 

Applications  for  help  

5,940 

5,940 

Help  supplied 

4  452 

4  452 

Seed  supplied: 
Potatoes,  bushels        .        ... 

81  026 

81  026 

Buckwheat,  bushels  

39,252} 

39,  252  i 

Other  crops,  bushels                 .    . 

9  148  £ 

9  148fc 

Copper  sulfate  supplied,  pounds  

11,225 

11,225 

Tractors: 
Number  placed 

42 

42 

Acres  worked  2  

2  100 

2  100 

1  Does  not  include    1089  patriotic  meetings  held  on  Agricultural  Mobilization  Day,  April   21, 
attended  by  85,000  persons. 

2  Records  incomplete. 

PROGRAM 

The  main  lines  of  work  carried  on  through  the  county  office 
may  be  grouped  under  nine  heads,  discussion  of  which  follows. 

1.  The  census 

How  the  census  was  organized  and  conducted  is  described  in 
detail  in  Bulletin  2.  The  New  York  State  Food  Supply  Com- 
mission was  appointed  by  Governor  Whitman  on  April  13.  Its 
first  step  was  to  order  a  survey  of  the  agricultural  resources  of 
the  State  and  of  the  requirements  for  increased  production.  This 
census  was  ordered  on  April  17,  the  work  being  placed  under  the 
general  direction  of  the  'Commissioner  in  Charge  of  County 
Organization,  M.  C.  Burritt,  who  was  also  State  Director  of 
Farm  Bureaus. 

How  the  census  was  taken.  A  state-wide  conference  of  all 
county  agricultural  agents,  the  presidents  of  farm  bureau  asso- 
ciations in  the  forty-one  organized  counties,  and  delegates  from 


73 

the  other  agricultural  counties  of  the  State,  was  called  at  the 
State  College  of  Agriculture  at  Ithaca  on  April  16.  At  this 
-conference,  details  of  the  general  plan  for  taking  the  census  were 
worked  out  and  the  instructions  were  given.  On  the  18th  and 
19th,  county-wide  conferences  of  farmers  were  held.  In  accord- 
ance with  the  proclamation  of  Governor  Whitman,  community 
meetings  were  held  in  1089  communities  of  the  State  on  Saturday, 
April  21,  attended  by  85,075  persons. 

At  all  of  these  meetings  the  census  was  explained  and  the  coop- 
eration was  solicited.  By  the  19th  of  April,  250,000  census 
blanks  had  been  printed  and  shipped  to  all  the  counties.  About 
forty  additional  helpers,  mostly  drafted  from  the  senior  class  of 
the  State  College  of  Agriculture,  had  been  assigned  as  assistants 
and  all  preliminary  arrangements  were  completed  for  taking  the 
census. 

The  county  farm  bureau  agents  were  appointed  county  enumer- 
ators and  were  made  responsible  for  the  results  in  their  counties. 
In  the  fifteen  counties  not  having  farm  bureaus,  extension 
specialists  of  the  State  College  of  Agriculture  were  assigned  as 
county  enumerators,  and  temporary  offices  of  the  Commission 
were  opened.  The  following  telegram  of  instruction  was  sent 
to  the  fifty-six  county  enumerators: 

Commissioner  of  Education  has  sent  telegrams  instructing  superintendents 
of  schools  and  teachers  to  report  to  you  as  official  census  taker  in  your 
county.  Gall  superintendents  together  immediately.  Assistant  will  be  sent 
as  soon  as  it  can  be  arranged.  You  are  hereby  authorized  to  employ  such 
additional  clerical,  stenographic,  and  other  assistance  as  may  be  necessary  to 
properly  and  rapidly  tabulate.  Superintendents'  and  teachers'  expenses  in 
connection  with  census  to  be  paid  by  Commission  through  Department  of 
Education. 

The  district  superintendents  of  schools  were  made  responsible 
for  the  results  in  all  the  schools  in  their  respective  districts,  and 
each  school  teacher  was  made  responsible  for  results  in  her  school 
district.  The  Commissioner  of  Education,  John  H.  Finley,  also 
a  member  of  this  Commission,  sent  the  following  telegram  to 
school  superintendents : 

State  Food  Supply  Commission  is  to  make  survey  of  agricultural  resources. 
District  superintendents,  teachers,  and  pupils  to  gather  data.  County  enu- 
merator will  get  in  touch  with  you.  It  is  expected  that  each  one  will  do  his 
part  promptly.  Expenses  will  be  met  by  Commission. 

The  census  was  made  possible  by  this  cooperation  of  the  State 
Department  of  Education.  Mr.  Layton  S.  Hawkins  had  imme- 
diate charge  of  the  Department's  part  in  the  work,  and  gave  great 
assistance. 


74 

To  immediately  benefit  the  farmers  and  to  save  expense,  the 
Commission  utilized,  as  far  as  possible,  all  the  existing  educa- 
tional organizations  of  the  State  which  were  equipped  to  do  the 
work.  Around  the  organizations  already  specified,  it  was  necessary 
merely  to  gather  additional  help.  This  was  done  with  the  coopera- 
tion of  the  state  schools  of  agriculture  at  'Canton,  Alfred,  Morris- 
ville,  Cobleskill,  Delhi,  and  Farmingdale,  and  the  Joseph  Slocum 
College  of  Agriculture  at  Syracuse  University,  all  of  which 
rendered  valuable  assistance.  High  school  principals  and  teachers 
of  agriculture  throughout  the  State  furnished  aid  and  equipment. 
The  State  Bankers  Association  banks,  business  firms,  chambers  of 
commerce,  and  individuals,  rendered  material  aid,  and  greatly 
facilitated  the  tabulations  by  lending  their  clerks  and  other  expert 
employees,  and  their  adding  machines. 

Thus  the  Commission  was  able  to  gather  the  necessary  facts 
rapidly,  and  in  just  ten  days  after  the  copy  for  the  census  blanks 
was  delivered  to  the  printer  a  preliminary  announcement  of  the 
results  of  the  census  was  made.  In  addition  to  taking  the  census 
in  record  time,  it  probably  was  taken  at  less  expense  to  the  State 
than  any  other  had  been.  The  regularly  paid  employees  of  the 
State  were  utilized,  and  much  assistance  was  given  by  public- 
spirited  organizations,  and  it  was  necessary  to  employ  com- 
paratively little  help. 

The  actual  work  of  taking  the  census  was  begun  in  most  of  the 
counties  on  Monday,  April  23,  the  records  being  practically  all 
obtained  by  Wednesday,  April  25.  Tabulations  were  made  in 
the  counties  on  April  26  and  27,  and  complete  tabulations  from 
thirty-four  counties  had  been  sent  to  the  central  census  office  on 
April  28.  The  teachers  and  pupils  in  each  district,  assisted  by 
other  persons  where  necessary,  obtained  the  original  facts  from 
farmers  and  made  out  the  summaries  for  their  school  districts. 
The  county  enumerators,  with  their  assistants,  and  the  district 
superintendents,  made  the  summaries  for  the  counties.  Dr.  G-.  F. 
Warren,  of  the  State  College  of  Agriculture,  had  charge  of  the 
summarizing  and  tabulating  of  the  records  for  the  entire  State. 

2.  Follow-up  of  the  census 

To  follow  up  the  census,  the  first  consideration  was  to  remedy 
the  poor  distribution  of  seed  and  the  state  shortage  of  potatoes, 
corn,  and  buckwheat.  Lists  of  seeds  for  sale  within  the  counties 
were  compiled  from  the  census  schedules  and  sent  to  those  who  had 


75 

indicated  wants.  Exchange  was  further  facilitated  by  newspaper 
advertising  and  by  means  of  the  telephone,  the  county  offices  being 
used  as  clearing  houses.  By  exchange  of  these  lists  between  the 
county  offices  some  inter-county  transactions  were  also  made 
practicable. 

To  meet  the  state-wide  shortage,  the  Commission  purchased 
potatoes,  corn,  and  buckwheat  from  outside  the  State.  The  county 
offices  helped  to  place  81,026  bushels  of  potatoes,  677  bushels  of 
beans,  39,252  bushels  of  buckwheat,  and  8471  bushels  of  miscel- 
laneous crops.  In  handling  seed  purchased  from  outside  the  State, 
the  general  practice  at  first  was  to  have  the  county  representatives 
get  definite  orders  from  farmers,  who  were  asked  to  make  a 
deposit  with  their  orders.  When  a  sufficient  number  of  orders  had 
been  placed  with  a  local  county  office,  the  Albany  office  of  the 
Commission  was  notified  by  wire.  The  seed  was  then  shipped, 
with  a  sight  draft  attached  to  the  bill  of  lading,  arrangements 
having  been  made  with  a  local  bank,  individual,  or  association 
to  finance  the  shipment  without  charge.  Full  payment  was  made 
with  delivery  at  the  car,  a  sufficient  pro  rata  margin  being  added 
to  pay  freight,  demurrage,  unloading,  and  other  costs,  not  includ- 
ing profit.  Seed  was  sold  only  on  condition  that  it  be  used  as  seed. 

Farmers  ordered,  through  the  county  offices,  289  tons  of  fer- 
tilizers, 11,725  pounds  of  spray  material,  and  some  machinery. 
Complaints  of  delays  in  transportation  were  received,  investigated, 
and  reported  to  the  proper  railroad  authorities,  by  whom  they 
were  usually  given  prompt  and  effective  attention. 

3.  Labor 

The  census  showed  that  farmers  were  facing  a  serious  and 
general  labor  shortage,  although  local  conditions  varied  consider- 
ably. The  situation  was  apparently  most  acute  in  those  agri- 
cultural counties  in  which  manufacturing  cities,  such  as  Utica, 
Syracuse,  Elmira,  and  Buffalo,  are  located. 

Two  main  sources  of  labor  were  developed  to  meet  the  demand : 
city  labor  obtained  through  the  state  employment  bureaus  in 
]STew  York,  Albany,  Syracuse,  Auburn,  Rochester,  Buffalo,  and 
Oswego ;  and  boys  released  from  the  rural  and  city  schools  by  the 
Department  of  Education. 

In  addition,  the  county  representatives,  through  personal  inter- 
view with  manufacturers  and  other  employers  of  large  groups  of 


76 


labor,  helped  to  arrange  for  the  temporary  release,  for  haying 
and  harvesting,  of  such  employees  as  had  had  previous  farm 
experience  and  were  willing  to  go  on  farms.  The  Endicott- 
Johnson  factory  at  Binghamton,  and  some  of  the  paper  manu- 
facturing plants  around  Glens  Falls,  Hudson  Falls,  and  Ballston 
Spa,  furnished  such  help.  One  railroad  company  contributed 
through  the  release  of  section  hands  for  short  periods.  The  use- 
fulness of  these  classes  of  laborers  depended  very  largely  on  the 
ability  of  the  county  representatives  to  " handle  the  traffic"  and 
equalize  the  supply  and  demand. 

The  methods  first  tried  were  the  standard  methods  used  in 
employment  bureaus.  Printed  slips,  with  blanks  for  the  number 
of  men  wanted,  the  type  of  labor  required,  the  period  and  probable 
duration  of  the  job,  the  wages  offered,  and  some  other  data,  were 
sent  from  the  county  offices  to  farmers  who  had  indicated  on  their 
census  blanks  a  need  for  help.  Applications  for  positions  through 
the  labor  bureaus  were  sorted,  classified,  and  filed,  and  applicants 
meeting  the  specifications  were  referred  to  the  farmer  wanting  the 
help.  It  developed,  however,  that  because  of  the  peculiar  and 
exacting  qualifications  demanded  of  farm  labor,  the  only  really 
satisfactory  method  was  a  personal  interview  between  the  employee 
and  the  employer  or  his  agent.  Some  of  the  county  representa- 
tives then  began  to  make  periodical  trips  to  the  nearest  employ- 
ment office,  sorting  over  the  available  material  and  bringing  the 
men  back,  sometimes  even  placing  the  laborers.  In  other  cases 
meetings  of  farmers  and  laborers  were  arranged  at  the  county 
office  of  the  Commission.  The  latter  method  proved  to  be  success- 
ful in  the  majority  of  cases. 

Boy  labor  was  useful  in  sections  of  specialized  farming,  as 
trucking,  fruit  growing,  and  the  like.  About  thirty  camps  were 
organized  in  Niagara  County  alone  for  picking  peaches.  Berry^ 
picking  offered  opportunity  for  such  help,  and  camps  were  organ- 
ized for  picking  grapes  in  Chautauqua  and  Yates  Counties. 

In  a  few  strictly  rural  counties,  such  as  Seneca  and  Tioga,  the 
early  release  of  schoolboys  from  the  district  and  high  schools  went 
far  toward  meeting  the  emergency. 

Household:  help  was  requested  to  the  number  of  7573.  Much 
of  this  was  supplied  by  schoolgirls.  Probably  never  before  have 
so  many  women  been  seen  working  in  the  fields  in  E~ew  York 
State  as  was  the  case  this  year. 


77 

4-  Tractors  and  ditchers 

Tractors,  ditchers,  and  other  farm  machinery  were,  of  neces- 
sity, placed  through  the  county  offices.  Two  options  were  offered 
by  the  Commission:  individuals  or  groups  might  purchase 
machines  at  wholesale  cost;  or  they  might  rent  them  at  a  charge 
calculated  to  cover  depreciation,  paying  their  own  costs  of 
operation. 

The  first  step  was  to  find  the  best  location  for  such  machines. 
The  county  representatives  got  individuals  or  groups  to  pledge 
a  definite  number  of  acres  for  plowing  or  cultivation  by  the  Com- 
mission's machines.  Forty-two  tractors  were  placed  in  twenty- 
two  counties.  The  next  step  was  to  form  a  committee  of  respon- 
sible farmers,  or  make  arrangements  for  the  farm  bureau  associa- 
tion itself,  to  assume  the  responsibility  for  such  machines  and  to 
supervise  the  work  in  the  county.  Competent  operators  were 
found  and  a  careful  itinerary  was  worked  out.  In  addition  to  the 
preliminary  local  organization,  it  was  generally  necessary  for  the 
county  representative,  as  the  usual  agent  of  the  tractor  committee, 
to  make  collections  from  farmers  for  work  done,  to  supervise  the 
work,  to  order  repairs  when  necessary,  and  to  make  adjustments. 

Three  power  ditching  machines  purchased  by  the  Commission 
have  been  placed  in  Ontario,  Orleans,  and  Tompkins  Counties, 
respectively.  The  disposition  of  these  machines  was  made  on  the 
basis  of  demand  from  farmers  expressed  in  definite  terms  of  rods 
of  drainage  ditches.  The  county  representatives  explained  the 
proposition  by  means  of  circular  letters,  newspaper  advertisements, 
and  talks  before  farmers'  meetings,  followed  by  a  canvass  for 
orders.  The  machines  were  placed  and  ready  for  business  by 
September  1.  They  will  be  handled  under  the  local  direction  of 
the  county  offices, 

5.  Insect  and  disease  control 

This  phase  of  the  emergency  work  was  handled  as  five 
projects  —  potato  spraying,  seed-potato  inspection,  fruit  insect 
and  disease  control,  plant  disease  survey,  vegetable  insect  control. 
In  general  the  county  was  the  unit  of  operation,  and  in  about 
seventy-five  per  cent  of  the  counties  the  county  representative  and 
his  assistants  handled  the  work  with  supervision  from  the  leaders 
in  charge  of  the  specific  field  of  endeavor.  In  a  number  of  coun- 
ties, however,  where  there  are  highly  specialized  types  of  farming, 


78 

special  agents  were  placed.  These  persons  received  the  coopera- 
tion of  the  county  representative  and  his  assistants,  and  had  the 
use  of  offices,  office  facilities,  and  automobiles. 

While  the  seed-potato  inspection  was  in  the  hands  of  two  dis- 
trict leaders,  a  preliminary  inspection  was  made  in  some  counties 
by  representatives  of  the  county  offices,  who  selected  a  limited 
number  of  fields  for  final  inspection  by  the  leaders. 

On  their  own  initiative  many  of  the  county  agents  are  in  a  sim- 
ilar manner  locating  sources  of  wheat  and  rye  seed,  with  a  view 
to  establishing  both  an  intra-county  and  an  inter-county  exchange. 

6.  Food  conservation 

In  organizing  the  food  conservation  work,  the  sentiment  of 
the  farmers  themselves  was  first  definitely  sounded.  During  the 
month  of  June,  representatives  from  the  central  office  met  the 
executive  committees  and  advisory  councils  of  the  farm  bureau 
organization  in  forty-one  counties.  The  plan  was  explained  and 
a  definite  expression  from  the  leading  farmers  was  obtained.  In 
seventy-five  per  cent  of  the  counties,  ready  response  was  given 
to  the  proposal.  The  county  agreed  to  furnish  an  office  and 
office  facilities,  including  stenographer  and  traveling  expenses. 
Salaries  were  paid  from  the  state  and  federal  war  emergency 
funds. 

Following  an  indorsement  by  the  Executive  Committee  of  the 
Farm  Bureau  Association,  a  county-wide  meeting  was  arranged  by 
the  county  representatives.  This  meeting,  to  which  were  invited 
representatives  of  all  existing  organizations  in  the  county  and 
especially  of  the  women's  organizations,  was  addressed  by  some 
one  representing  the  central  office  executive  committee  in  charge 
of  this  branch  of  the  work.  Plans  were  perfected  for  finances, 
and  a  committee  of  local  women  was  appointed  to  advise  with 
the  conservation  agent  and  cooperate  with  her  in  arranging  work. 
The  launching  of  the  program,  and  especially  the  preliminary 
organization  preceding  the  arrival  of  the  conservation  agent, 
were  in  the  hands  of  the  county  representatives. 

7.  Loans,  vacant  lands,  gardens 

In  organizing  the  committee  for  passing  upon  farm  loans,  in 
spreading  information  about  the  system,  and  in  referring  pros- 
pective borrowers  to  the  proper  authorities,  the  county  repre- 
sentatives played  a  role  in  handling  the  patriotic  farm  loan. 


79 

By  means  of  circular  letters,  personal  inspection,  and  other 
methods,  the  county  officers  gathered  data  for  reports  to  the 
Commission  covering  the  extent,  area,  and  quality  of  vacant 
lands  in  the  State. 

Near  some  cities,  groups  of  boys  and  factory  employees  were 
organized  for  cultivation  of  commercial  gardens.  Supervision 
of  the  soil,  preparation,  planting,  cultivation,  spraying,  and  har- 
vesting, and  inspection  for  award  of  prizes  offered  by  municipal, 
charitable,  or  other  organizations,  were  in  many  instances  the 
work  of  the  county  representatives. 

8.  Marketing 

The  work  of  distribution,  storage,  and  marketing  has  centered 
chiefly  around  the  potato  crop,  which  a  partial  survey  of  crop 
conditions  indicated  would  be  an  unusually  large  one.  During 
August  a  series  of  ten  meetings  was  arranged  through  the  county 
representatives  in  the  principal  potato-growing  sections  of  the 
State.  These  meetings  were  addressed  by  representatives  of  the 
Federal  Bureau  of  Markets  and  the  State  Department  of  Foods 
and  Markets.  Plans  were  outlined  for  the  storage  and  marketing 
of  the  crop.  Following  these  meetings,  specialists  in  organiza- 
tion furnished  by  the  Commission  and  the  Federal  Bureau  of 
Markets  assisted  the  county  representatives  in  developing  local 
selling  and  storage  associations. 

Further  plans  of  the  Commission  contemplate  a  comprehen- 
sive market  news  service.  This  will  depend  for  its  local  opera- 
tion on  distribution  through  the  county  offices.  The  county  offices 
will  further  act  as  local  clearing  houses,  and  will  attempt  to 
move  the  crop  in  the  most  efficient  way  and  prevent  market  gluts 
and  shortages. 

9.  Gathering  information 

No  small  part  of  the  work  of  the  county  representatives  has 
been  the  collecting  and  assembling  of  information  on  many  sub- 
jects. Much  of  this  was  accomplished  by  sorting  and  tabulating 
data  from  the  census  returns,  such  as  compiling  lists  of  dairy- 
men, poultrymen,  stallion  owners,  potato  growers,  and  fruit 
growers. 

These  lists  were  used  to  furnish  special  circular  information 
to  small  interested  groups,  and  as  nuclei  for  the  formation  of 
breeding  associations,  milk .  testing  associations,  potato  growers' 


80 


associations,  and  other  associations  for  special  interests;  they 
were  useful  also  in  bringing  together  groups  for  community 
operations,  such  as  spraying  and  cooperative  buying. 

Other  information  required  special  surveys,  such  as  the  weekly 
insect  and  disease  report  to  Dr.  Felt,  the  wheat  and  rye  ques- 
tionnaire, the  market  milk  situation,  and  the  potato  crop  survey. 
The  following  summary  of  the  wheat  and  rye  survey  shows  the 
nature  and  extent  of  one  of  these  special  surveys: 

Prospective  increase  in  wheat  and  rye  acreage 

During  the  first  week  of  July  a  questionnaire  was  sent  to  all 
farm  bureau  agents  and  all  representatives  of  the  Food  Supply 
Commission.  This  questionnaire  was  sent  to  a  representative 
farmer  in  each  section,  with  the  request  that  he  fill  it  out  for  him- 
self and  four  neighbors. 

The  questionnaire  asked  for  the  present  acreage  of  wheat  and 
rye,  and  the  acreage  it  was  expected  to  sow  in  the  fall;  also  the 
prospective  price  necessary  in  order  to  increase  the  maximum 
production.  For  convenience  in  summing  up,  the  State  is  divided 
into  four  sections,  as  follows: 

1.  Wheat     section  —  Cayuga,     Erie,     Genesee,     Livingston, 
Monroe,  Niagara,  Ontario,  Orleans,  Seneca,  Wayne,  Wyoming, 
and  Yates  Counties. 

2.  Southern  counties  —  Allegany,  Broome,  Cattaraugus,  Chau- 
tauqua,  Chemung,  Steuben,  and  Tioga  Counties. 

3.  Hudson    Valley  —  Albany,    Columbia,    Dutchess,    Greene, 
Orange,  Putnam,  Rensselaer,  Rockland,  Saratoga,  Schenectady, 
Ulster,  Warren,  Washington,  and  Westchester  Counties. 

4.  Central  and  northern  counties  —  Chemung,  Clinton,  Cort- 
land,  Essex,  Franklin,  Fulton,  Herkimer,  Lewis,  Madison,  Mont- 
gomery,   Nassau,    Onondaga,    Oswego,    Otsego,    St.    Lawrence, 
Schoharies,  Schuyler,  Suffolk,  and  Tompkins  Counties. 

The  report  by  sections  is  summarized  as  follows : 


Acres  of  wheat 

Acres  of  rye 

TV>ta1 

number 

Percent- 

Percent- 

report- 
ing 

1916-17 

1917-18 

age  of 
gain 

1916-17 

1917-18 

age  of 
gain 

or  loss 

or  loss 

Section  1  

526 
309 
457 
726 

7,415.00 
702.75 
487.00 
1,780.16 

9,055.0 
1,047.0 
854.0 
2,338.5 

22 
49 
75 
31 

506.00 
349.00 
2,002.00 
289.25 

487.0 
601.0 
2,791.5 
406.5 

—  4 
72 
39 
41 

Section  3  
Section  4  

81 


Regarding  price  to    stimulate  maximum  acreage 


Prospective 
price 
satisfactory 

Number 
of 
answers 

Wheat 

$1.50 
to  $2 

S2  to 
S2.50 

$2.50 
to  $3 

$3  or 

more 

Section  1 

56 
35 
72 
72 

16 
23 

38 
77 

1 
1 

18 
5 

18 
2 

7 
2 
2 

a 

Section  2  

Section  3 

3 

8 

2 

Altogether  2018  answers  were  received  from  forty-eight  coun- 
ties, or  an  average  of  42  per  county.  The  most  important  data 
are  for  the  wheat  region,  where  a  prospective  gain  of  22  per  cent 
is  contemplated.  About  90  per  cent  of  the  wheat  is  raised  in  this 
section.  Most  of  the  rye  is  raised  in  the  Hudson  Valley,  and  this 
section  shows  a  prospective  gain  of  39  per  cent.  The  figures  indi- 
cate a  prospective  gain  of  about  100,000  acres  in  wheat  and 
50,000  acres  in  rye. 

Acreage  1916-17 

Wheat 420, 000 

Rye 120, 000 


540,  000 


520,  000 
170,  000 

690,  000 


REPORT  OF  THE  DIVISION  OF  SCHOOLS  AND  COLLEGES 

J.  H.  FIXLEY,  Commissioner  in  charge 

The  general  direction  of  the  work  of  the  Division  of  Schools 
and  Colleges  was  placed  by  Commissioner  J.  H.  Finley  in  the 
hands  of  L.  S.  Hawkins,  of  the  State  Department  of  Education. 
The  purpose  of  this  division  of  the  work  of  the  State  Food  Supply 
Commission  was  to  procure  aid  in'  the  work  of  food  production 
and  conservation  through  the  medium  of  the  schools  and  colleges. 
In  order  to  accomplish  this  purpose,  four  lines  of  work  were  estab- 
lished and  developed :  first,  the  farm  census ;  secondly,  work  with 
farm  cadets ;  thirdly,  farm  camps ;  fourthly,  work  with  food  con- 
servation agents. 

THE  FARM  CENSUS 

Because  of  the  acute  food  situation  in  this  country  due  to  the 
war,  a  census  of  the  agricultural  conditions  of  the  State  was 
ordered  on  April  17.  The  immediate  object  was  that  facts  regard- 
ing crop  products  might  be  made  available  before  the  spring 
planting. 

Through  the  cooperation  of  the  State  Department  of  Education, 
and  through  the  utilization  so  far  as  possible  of  all  existing  edu- 
cational organizations  throughout  the  State  which  were  equipped  to 
do  the  work,  including  district  superintendents,  high  school  prin- 
cipals, teachers  of  agriculture,  farm  bureau  managers,  and  others, 
the  census-taking  was  finally  launched,  and  was  actually  begun 
in  most  of  the  counties  on  Monday,  April  23.  Teachers  and  their 
pupils  in  each  supervisory  district,  assisted  by  other  persons 
enumerated,  obtained  the  original  facts  from  the  farmers  and 
made  out  summaries  for  their  school  districts.  Buttons  were 
distributed  to  the  children  for  this  work.  Records  were  prSc- 
tically  all  obtained  by  April  25,  or  within  two  days  after  the 
census  started. 

During  the  census-taking,  the  district  superintendents  instructed 
the  teachers  and  the  older  pupils  under  their  jurisdiction  to  sus- 
pend all  school  work  and  get  the  data  needed  at  once.  Thus  the 
entire  rural  school  system  of  the  State  was  utilized  to  get  the 
facts  at  first  hand  from  the  farmers. 

All  teachers'  and  superintendents'  expenses  were  paid  by  the 
Commission  through  the  State  Department  of  Education. 

[82] 


83 

FARM  CADETS 
Preliminary  steps 

On  April  15  a  conference  for  the  purpose  of  discussing  plans 
for  meeting  the  national  emergency  need  for  increased  food  pro- 
duction was  called  by  Dr.  Charles  F.  Wheelock,  Assistant  Com- 
missioner for  Secondary  Education.  Following  this  conference, 
representatives  of  the  Department  were  dispatched  to  various 
parts  of  the  State  to  present  the  national  need,  and  plans  were 
made  for  meeting  this  need  at  county  meetings  of  the  district,  city, 
and  village  superintendents  and  principals.  At  this  time  enroll- 
ment blanks,  entitled  "  Volunteer  for  Farm  Cadet  Service,''  were 
placed  in  the  hands  of  these  superintendents  and  principals. 
These  blanks  were  to  be  filled  out,  signed  by  the  parents  or 
guardians  of  the  pupils,  and  returned  to  the  Education  Depart- 
ment within  three  days  after  the  meeting,  or  before  May  1.  This 
launched  the  plan  of  farm  cadet  service. 

Release  from  school 

In  order  that  there  might- be  no  injustice  to  the  pupils,  all  those 
entering  farm  cadet  service  were  credited  with  a  passing  rating, 
provided  their  school  work  was  up  to  standard  at  the  time  they 
were  released,  and  provided,  further,  that  they  rendered  satis- 
factory agricultural  service.  In  accordance  with  this,  pupils  were 
released  from  the  June  regents  examinations.  Eegents  creden- 
tials were  granted  on  the  certificate  of  the  superintendent,  which 
was  accepted  in  lieu  of  the  regular  examinations. 

Supervision  of  farm  cadets 

Pupils  were  almost  immediately  released  from  school  for  farm 
service.  This  demanded  at  once  some  means  of  supervision  in 
order  that  reports  could  be  obtained  by  the  principals,  on  which 
credits  for  school  work  might  be  rated.  It  was  at  once  evident 
that  proper  supervision  could  best  be  managed  by  regular  school 
officials.  Those  best  qualified  through  training  and  experience 
to  do  this  were  the  207  district  superintendents  and  the  70  teach- 
ers of  agriculture  in  the  State.  Accordingly,  as  the  district  super- 
intendents are  official  representatives  of  the  State  Department  of 
Education,  it  was  deemed  advisable  to  work  directly  through 
them. 

A  circular  letter  was  sent  to  each  superintendent  designating 


84 

him  as  the  school  representative  of  the  Food  Supply  Corn-mission 
in  his  district.  Accompanying  this  letter  were  blanks  and  direc- 
tions for  recording  the  number  of  pupils  in  farm  service  and  their 
work.  Reports  showed  at  an  early  date  that  a  supervision  of 
pupils  as  to  the  place  of  employment  was  at  once  needed.  While 
many  pupils  worked  at  home,  others  went  to  outlying  districts,  in 
some  cases  entering  districts  outside  of  the  jurisdiction  of  the 
regular  superintendent.  Records  of  transfers  were  therefore  nec- 
essary in  order  to  properly  follow  up  these  pupils.  Blank  forms, 
cards,  and  circular  letters  were  issued  by  the  Commission  for  this 
purpose.  In  most  cases,  where  a  teacher  of  agriculture  was 
employed,  the  district  superintendent  left  the  matter  entirely  with 
him,  though  the  superintendent  acted  as  the  official  representative; 
of  the  Food  Supply  Commission. 

Financing  the  work  of  farm  cadets 

Only  the  expenses  of  these  representatives  of  the  Food  Supply 
Commission  were  paid  by  the  Commission.  At  first,  $100  was 
allotted  to  them  as  a  sum  which  they  were  not  to  exceed.  This 
was  later  reduced  to  a  sum  based  on  the  number  of  pupils  in  their 
'charge  at  home  and  away  from  home.  The  expenses  of  these 
representatives  were  paid  only  to  the  close  of  school,  at  which  time 
the  supervision  was  given  up. 

The  farm  cadets 

The  farm  cadets  consisted  of  boys  and  girls  from  the  cities  as 
well  as  from  the  country.  The  "  Brown  Law,"  passed  by  the 
Legislature  to  meet  the  emergency,  permitted  pupils  below  the 
compulsory  school-attendance  age  to  serve  as  farm  cadets,  pro- 
vided they  were  physically  fit  for  the  work  they  were  to  under- 
take. The  total  number  of  boys  and  girls  recorded  as  working 
at  home  is  14,406.  The  total  number  of  boys  and  girls  recorded 
as  being  away  from  home  and  in  cadet  service  is  4221.  The 
total  number  of  farm  cadets,  therefore,  is  18,627. 

Release  from  farm  cadet  service 

Word  received  through  letters,  through  personal  contact  with 
the  Commission's  representatives,  and  through  other  officials, 
indicates  that  the  farm  cadet  service  plan  has  been  successful  and 
has  met  a  definite  state  need.  Up  to  the  close  of  school,  the  work 


85 

of  the  pupils  was  of  distinct  value  to  the  farmer,  though  in  some 
cases  a  number  of  days  of  instruction  was  needed  in  order  to  prop- 
erly fit  the  boy  or  the  girl  for  the  work  in  hand.  Reports  show 
that  the  pupils  were  quick  to  learn  and  ready  and  willing  to  serve 
their  employers.  As  soon  as  supervision  was  eliminated,  at  the 
close  of  school,  many  pupils  were  inclined  to  leave"  their  work. 
For  this  reason,  later  reports  seem  to  indicate  that  there  was  some 
dissatisfaction  among  the  farmers.  Had  adequate  supervision 
been  continued  through  the  summer,  there  is  no  question  as  to 
the  value  of  this  type  of  service  or  as  to  its  success. 

FARM  CAMPS 

In  addition  to  individual  farm  cadet  service,  farm  camps  were 
organized  throughout  the  State.  These  camps  consisted  of  groups 
of  boys  gathered  together,  under  the  direction  of  a  camp  leader,  in 
a  community  where  much  help  was  needed.  A  study  of  these 
camps,  which  were  organized  principally  for  city  boys  as  a  means 
of  supplying  farm  labor,  and  which  started  about  the  middle  of 
June,  was  placed  under  the  general  supervision  of  Professor 
George  A.  Works,  of  Cornell  University.  His  investigation 
included  at  least  one  visit  to  each  camp  established  in  the  State. 
In  addition,  trips  were  made  into  Massachusetts,  New  Jersey, 
and  Pennsylvania,  to  visit  camps  in  those  States. 

As  soon  as  the  Food  Supply  Commission  voted  to  use  some  of 
its  funds  to  pay  for  leadership  of  the  camps,  blanks  were  pre- 
pared calling  for  information  regarding  the  conditions  under 
which  the  camps  were  established;  in  addition,  weekly  reports 
showed  the  extent  to  which  farmers  were  employing  the  boys,  and 
also  gave  facts  as  to  the  boys'  earnings.  The  Long  Island  camps 
have  not  reported  as  yet,  so  that  no  summary  can  be  made  at  this 
time. 

The  efforts  to  establish  camps  have  revealed  certain  facts  that 
should  be  of  value  in  the  future,  as  follows: 

Selection 

It  is  very  important  that  there  should  be  some  agency  that 
will  carefully  select  the  boys.  The  work  of  the  Military  Training 
Commission  has  been  especially  valuable  in  this  regard.  In  fact 
it  would  have  been  impossible  to  get  so  many  boys  for  the  camps 
without  the  help  of  this  agency.  In  some  instances,  the  school 


86 

has  proved  a  very  good  means  of  selecting  the  boys.  States  that 
do  not  have  some  agency  to  look  after  this  work  are  evidently  at  a 
disadvantage. 

In  general,  the  boys  should  be  at  least  sixteen  years  of  age  and 
well  developed.  The  boys  selected  by  the  Military  Training  Com- 
mission were  given  a  physical  examination  before  they  were  per- 
mitted to  enter  the  camps.  There  are  two  objections  to  the 
younger  boys :  first,  usually  they  are  not  capable  of  doing  the  work 
desired  by  the  farmers;  secondly,  they  are  not  likely  to  be  so 
easy  .to  direct  when  at  work  or  in  the  camps. 

The  supply  of  boys  has  not  equaled  the  demand.  The  demand 
for  boys  in  industrial  service  has  been  so  great  that  the  desired 
camps  could  not  be  established. 

Location  of  camps 

Before  camps  are  established,  it  is  desirable  to  canvass  the 
farmers  to  determine  their  demands  for  labor  as  well  as  their 
attitude  toward  the  employment  of  boys.  In  most  cases  when 
the  boys  have  been  strong  and  capable,  the  farmers  have  been  glad 
to  have  their  services  in  spite  of  their  inexperience.  The  farm 
bureau  organization  has  proved  the  best  means  of  getting  at  the 
labor  demands.  The  manager  is  in  close  touch  with  the  farmers 
in  all  sections  of  his  county,  and  he,  with  his  committeemen,  can 
determine  the  labor  demands  in  a  relatively  short  time  and  make 
the  necessary  adjustments  with  the  farmers.  A  well-worked-out 
plan  was  that  of  the  Farm  Bureau  of  Niagara  County.  Its 
partial  failure  was  due  to  a  shortage  in  the  supply  of  boys. 

Usually,  when  a  community  has  been  selected  for  the  location 
of  a  camp,  the  site  has  been  carefully  chosen.  It  is  extremely 
desirable  to  have  this  feature  carefully  looked  after.  In  Massa- 
chusetts the  local  health  authorities  were  required  to  inspect  the^ 
camp  quarters.  This  feature  was  adopted  in  New  York  later  in 
the  season,  and  was  looked  after  by  the  Military  Training 
Commission. 

Leaders 

It  was  evident  from  the  start  that  it  would  be  unwise  to  place 
boys  in  camps  without  supervision.  If  it  had  been  attempted, 
practically  no  boys  would  have  been  available,  because  relatively 
few  homes  would  let  the  boys  go  to  camps  without  supervision. 
Leaders  have  been  drawn  from  various  sources,  the  largest  single 


87 

group  having  been  teachers,  though  in  some  cases  Y.  M.  C.  A. 
and  Boy  Scout  workers  have  been  used.  In  Niagara  County  sev- 
eral leaders  were  obtained  from  a  camp  made  up  of  University 
of  Pennsylvania  students  who  had  gone  there  early  in  the  spring. 
The  leaders  have  had  supervision  of  the  camp  life  of  the  boys, 
but  usually  have  not  had  supervision  of  the  boys  during  working 
hours,  though  they  have  been  a  means  of  adjusting  differences 
of  opinion  between  employer  and  employee. 

Camp  facilities 

The  quarters  in  which  the  boys  have  lived  have  varied  greatly 
in  different  sections  of  the  State.  All  the  Long  Island  camps 
were  under  canvas.  In  the  fruit  sections  of  the  State  the  quarters 
were  usually  berry  houses  or  labor  shacks.  A  building  provides 
the  more  economical  quarters,  though  tents  may  make  a  strong 
appeal  to  the  boys. 

Experience  has  shown  that  the  farmers  are  willing  to  furnish 
quarters,  cots,  telephone,  cooking  utensils,  and  fuel,  if  the  boys 
bring  their  tableware  and  bedding. 

The  money  expended  by  the  Food  Supply  Commission  on 
farm  camps  has  helped  to  relieve  the  labor  situation  in  a  few 
communities,  and  has  given  experience  that  may  be  valuable  in 
the  future,  because  it  is  evident  that  the  farm  camp  is  not  a 
temporary  proposition. 

The  following  camps  were  assisted  in  the  matter  of  leadership 
by  the  Food  Supply  Commission : 

Camp  Leader 

Trumansburg,  Tompkins   County G.   W.   Jeffrey 

Highland,  Ulster  County F.    J.   Keller 

Highland,  Ulster  County F.    N.    Westphal 

Highland,  Ulster  County H.    W.    Millspaugh 

Highland,  Ulster  County Geo.  H.  Beal 

South  Lima,  Livingston  County J.  A.  G.  Moore 

Wolcott,  Wayne  County C.   S.  Ramsay 

Germantown,   Columbia  County W.   G.   Bauer 

Mount  Morris,  Livingston  County R.  P.   Conners 

Sheridan,   Chautauqua  County E.  M.   Shields 

Jericho,  Nassau  County P.    J.   Moore 

Jericho,  Nassau  County J.  F.  McKeehan 

Hempstead,  Nassau  County G.    A.    Smith 

Sodus,  Wayne  County J.  M.  Wallace 

Middle  Hope,  Orange  County G.   W.   Lemon 

Cedarcliff,  Orange  County Russell    Stryker 

Besides  these  camps,  there  were  nine  camps  at  Newburgh, 
Orange  County,  which  were  established  by  the  Board  of  Education 
of  New  York  City.  There  were  also  four  camps  at  Highland 


88 


besides  those  which  received  aid  from  the  Food  Supply  Commis- 
sion.   Of  the  six  camps  on  Long  Island  only  two  were  aided. 

The  Bureau  of  Educational  Experiments  ran  an  especially  suc- 
cessful camp  near  Seneca  Castle.  The  boys  were  from  New  York 
and  were  under  the  direction  of  C.  E.  Artman.  During  a  part  of 
the  summer  a  camp  was  in  operation  at  Nichols,  Tioga  County, 
and  a  small  group  of  boys  were  in  a  camp  at  Suffern,  Kockland 
County,  without  a  leader. 

TEACHERS  AS  FOOD  CONSERVATION  AGENTS 

Near  the  end  of  April,  Dr.  Arthur  D.  Dean,  then  Director  of 
the  Division  of  Agricultural  and  Industrial  Education,  by  means 
of  a  circular  letter  to  the  manual  training  and  household  arts 
teachers  of  the  State,  urged  that  the  schools  do  all  in  their  power 
to  contribute  to  the  war  service.  He  suggested  to  the  manual  train- 
ing teachers  that  they  direct  their  efforts  along  the  lines  of  school, 
community,  and  home  gardens,  and  turn  the  manual  arts  activi- 
ties over  to  those  concerning  food  production.  He  suggested  that 
the  cooking  teachers  be  thinking  during  the  spring,  summer,  and 
early  fall  in  terms  of  "  preserving,'7  and  during  the  late  fall  and 
winter  in  terms  of  "  conserving."  He  suggested  also  that  ways 
should  be  found  to  continue  the  services  of  the  household  arts 
teachers  during  the  summer,  when  their  services  in  the  community 
were  most  important. 

Just  before  the  close  of  school,  a  letter  was  sent  by  L.  S. 
Hawkins,  Director  of  the  Division  of  Agricultural  and  Industrial 
Education,  to  all  the  home  economics  teachers  in  the  State,  inquir- 
ing whether  their  services  would  be  available  as  food  demonstrators 
in  their  respective  communities  or  elsewhere.  Eavorable  replies 
were  received  from  forty-two  persons.  Some  teachers  accepted 
positions  offered  them  as  county  agents ;  this  necessitated  resigning 
from  their  regular  school  work.  The  work  of  the  agents  in  the 
Division  of  Schools  and  Colleges  was  for  the  summer  only,  though 
it  was  assumed  that  it  would  be  carried  on  by  local  boards  of 
education  before  the  close  of  school  in  the  spring  and  after  school 
opened  in  the  fall.  The  total  number  of  teachers  finally  appointed 
for  the  work  was  thirty.  The  type  of  work  carried  on  included  the 
following : 

1.  Talks  on  foods,  food  preparation,  food  conservation, 
food  purchasing,  transportation,  and  distribution. 

2.  Food  demonstration  in  classes,  using  the  public-school 
domestic-science  room  or  a  private  house. 


89 

3.  Talks  with  individuals  during  given  office  hours. 

4.  Preparation  of  press  notices  for  the  daily  papers. 

5.  Preparation  of  bulletins,  cards,  and  typewritten  matter 
on  advertising  the  demonstration  classes  and  food  preparation 
and  preservation. 

Food  demonstration  work  included  bread  making,  egg  preserva- 
tion and  egg  uses,  cheaper  cakes,  meat  substitutes,  uses  of  the  soy 
bean,  uses  of  left-overs,  canning  vegetables  and  fruits,  jelly  mak- 
ing, drying  of  fruits  and  vegetables,  and  the  preparation  and  serv- 
ing of  simple  meals  and  course  dinners. 

The  teachers  worked  from  three  to  five  days  a  week  in  different 
communities,  using  the  schoolhouses  for  demonstration  rooms. 
They  worked  from  half  past  eight  in  the  morning  until  six  or  half- 
past  six  in  the  evening.  Much  time  had  to  be  spent  in  carefully 
planning  talks  and  lessons,  and  in  preparing  for  the  demonstra- 
tion, buying  materials,  looking  after  transportation,  and  taking 
care  of  the  products.  The  persons  in  attendance  were  constantly 
encouraged  to  use  their  own  materials,  such  as  simple  home  garden 
supplies  and  wild  fruits  and  berries  which  they  might  be  able  to 
gather ;  they  were  constantly  cautioned  not  to  use  expensive  fruits, 
and  were  shown  many  ways  of  reducing  expenses  by  making  use 
of  left-overs,  cheaper  cuts  of  meat,  and  less  expensive  vegetables. 
In  some  instances  a  house  was  used  in  place  of  the  school,  while  in 
one  case  a  community  canning  kitchen  was  demonstrated.  The 
attendance  ranged  from  an  average  of  5  persons  up  to  85  or  more, 
and  included  foreigners,  so-called  middle-class  people,  and  mem- 
bers of  granges  and  other  clubs.  The  work  is  being  continued  and 
is  paid  for  by  the  local  communities. 

CONCLUSION 

It  has  been  clearly  demonstrated  that  pupils  of  the  schools  and 
colleges  are  indispensable  in  an  emergency  of  this  kind.  In  fact, 
word  has  come  from  some  farmers  that  they  would  much  prefer 
student  help  to  the  "  Saturday  night  topers  "  of  the  old  days.  The 
boys  and  girls  have  comported  themselves  with  great  credit. 
Teachers  have  given  their  services  patriotically  and  unselfishly, 
and  principals  and  superintendents  have  with  willingness  and 
loyalty  extended  their  assistance  to  the  State. 


REPORT  OF  THE  DIVISION  OF  DISTRIBUTION,  STORAG3 
AND  MARKETING 

J.  J.  DILLON,  Commissioner  in  Charge 

The  work  for  the  New  York  State  Food  Supply  Commission  i: 
reference  to  the  storage  and  marketing  of  farm  products  coincides 
with  the  regular  functions  of  the  State  Department  of  Foods  and 
Markets,  and  therefore  the  work  for  one  naturally  included  that 
for  the  other.  The  work  in  which  the  Commission  bore  the  expense 
in  whole  or  in  part  included : 

1.  A  canvass  of  the  canning  factories  of  New  York  and  the 
adjoining  States  to  discover  their  requirements  of  farm  products 
for  the  season.    By  this  means  the  Division  ascertained  the  kinds 
and  quantities  of  products  in  demand.      This  information  was 
tabulated  and  then  distributed  to  farm  associations,  exchanges, 
granges,  and  farm  bureaus.     In  some  cases  sales  were  negotiated, 
among  these  being  one  of  200  tons  of  currants  for  the  growers  of 
the  Hudson  River  Valley. 

2.  A  study  of  drying  and  dehydrating  systems  for  preserving 
fruits  and  vegetables,  and  of  the  possibilities  of  drying  as  a  means 
of  preserving  food,  together  with  the  marketing  outlook  for  the 
dried  foods.    A  bulletin  (Bulletin  5,  Drying  of  Food  Products,  or 
the  Dehydrating  System)    describing  the  principal  methods  of 
drying   fruits    and   vegetables,    was   published    and    distributed. 
Heretofore  little  information  on  the  subject  had  been  ava'laWe. 
Apples  have  furnished  a  large  proportion  of  the  dried  products  of 
the  State,  and  the  drying  plants  are  located  in  the  apple  region  of 
the  western  part  of  the  State.    This  year,  however,  the  apple  crop 
is  almost  an  entire  failure.     The  plants  are  available  for  drying 
vegetables  but  no  market  for  dried  vegetables  has  been  established 
in  this  country,  and  growers  have  been  hesitant  about  taking  the 
chances  of  drying  vegetables  and  finding  a  market.    In  the  Army 
and  the  Navy  the  authorities  have  refused  to  consider  dried  vege- 
tables for  commissary  departments.     Several  dehydrating  plants 
have  been  established  in  the  State,  and  it  is  thought  that  this 
system  of  conserving  fruit  and  vegetables  will  grow  in  favor; 
but  in  the  meantime  the  fostering  of  the  industry  seems  to  be  a 
legitimate    enterprise   for    state   encouragement,    by   helping   to 
develop  a  demand.     When  this  is  secured,  the  farmers  will  do  the 

rest. 

[90] 


91 

3.  A  survey  of  the  available  cold-storage  space  in  the  State. 
The  space  in  New  York  City  was  about  fully  occupied,  but  con- 
siderable space  is  available  elsewhere  in  the  State.     The  failure 
of  the  apple  crop  in  the  commercial  apple-growing  sections  of 
western  New  York  has  left  cold-storage  space  available  for  other 
products. 

4.  The  appeal  for  an  increase  in  the  food  supply  this  year 
resulted  in  a  large  supply  of  perishable  products.     On  some  of 
these  the  wholesale  price  was  so  low  as  to  discourage  shipment. 
To  save  this  from  waste,  appeals  were  made  to  the  cities  of  the 
State  to  establish  markets  where  producers  could  meet  consumers, 
so  that  the  farmer  could  find  sale  for  his  produce  and  the  con- 
sumer could  get  fresh  food  products  at  first  cost.     Many  open 
curb  markets   were   established,    and   there   is   opportunity   for 
greatly  extending  this  work.    Plans  for  establishing  these  markets 
have  been  distributed  to  the  officials  of  the  cities  and  villages  of 
the  State. 

5.  Food  clubs  in  New  York  City.     Request  was  made  to  city 
officials  for  the  use  of  vacant  spaces  for  the  sale  of  surplus  products, 
but  the  privilege  of  using  such  vacant  spaces  was  not  allowed. 
As  an  alternative,  food  clubs  were  organized  in  various  parts  of 
the  city,  and  through  them  considerable  quantities  of  these  sur- 
plus products  have  been   distributed.      These   clubs,   like   curb 
markets,   are  merely  expedients.     They  are  no  solution  of  the 
food-distribution  problem.     To  solve  that  will  require  carefully 
supervised  terminal  wholesale  markets,  and  regulated  retail  dis- 
tribution through  local  stores;  but  the  clubs  serve  a  temporary 
purpose,  and  the  enthusiasm  of  the  people  for  them  indicates  the 
need  of  economic  distribution. 

6.  Organization  of  the  potato  growers  of  the  State.     In  this 
work  the  Commission  had  the  cooperation  of  the  State  Department 
of  Foods  and  Markets,  the  farm  bureaus,  and  the  Federal  Depart- 
ment of  Agriculture.     Several  men  were  placed  in  the  field  to 
organize  this  work.     The  purpose  was  to  assemble,  grade,   and 
store  potatoes  and  sell  them  as  the  demand  warranted.     Some 
canvass  was  made  of  the  retail  trade,  and  the  indications  were 
favorable  for  an  outlet  of  the  potatoes  through  these  channels. 
Connections  were  also  established  for  the  sale  of  potatoes  grown 
in  the  State  in  markets  outside  the  State. 


EEPORT  OF  THE  DIVISION  OF  LOANS  AND  FARM  LANDS 

S.  J.  LOWELL,  Commissioner  in  Charge 

The  Division  of  Loans  and  Farm  Lands  of  the  New  York 
State  Food  Supply  Commission  was  placed  in  charge  of  Commis- 
sioner S  J.  Lowell,  Master  of  the  JSTew  York  State  Grange.  Mr. 
Lowell  named  as  his  secretary,  A.  M.  Loomis,  of  Jamestown, 
York,  who  took  charge  of  the  office  details  of  the  work  on  May  1, 
1917. 

COOPERATION  OF  THE  GRANGE 

At  the  time  of  the  formal  organization  of  this  Commission,  the 
!New  York  State  Grange  was  committed  to  the  work  of  increased 
food  production  by  the  action  of  the  State  Master,  who  sent  a  call 
to  each  subordinate  grange  master  to  hold  a  meeting  of  his  grange 
on  April  19  for  the  mobilization  of  the  agricultural  resources  of 
the  State.  All  members  of  the  grange,  and  other  persons  inter- 
ested in  agriculture,  were  invited  to  attend  these  meetings,  and 
the  reports  received  indicated  wide  interest  and  large  attendance 
in  more  than  seven  hundred  grange  gatherings. 

Carrying  this  cooperation  further,  the  Master  of  the  New  York 
State  Grange  issued  a  circular  letter,  which  was  sent  to  each 
grange  master  with  the  request  that  it  be  read  at  least  once  in 
every  grange  in  the  State.  This  letter  follows : 

Fredonia,  New  York,  May  21,  1917 
Dear  Brothers  and  Sisters: 

The  question  of  our  responsibility  as  farmers  in  the  great  strife  we 
are  now  engaged  in  should  be  considered  by  us  immediately,  and  should 
receive  our  most  careful  attention. 

NECESSITY  Thorough  investigation  of  agricultural  conditions  in  our  State 
as  well  as  in  the  whole  world  indicates  a  great  shortage  of  foodstuffs. 
Unusual  efforts  are  recognized  as  being  necessary. 

RESPONSIBILITY  No  reasonable  opportunity  to  increase  crop  production  and 
food  in  all  forms  should  be  neglected.  If  this  is  neglected  the  blame  will 
be  laid  at  the  door  of  the  farmers.  Effort  to  raise  and  garner  all  possible 
crops  should  be  our  aim. 

OBLIGATION-  We  must  do  this  in  all  sincerity,  not  because  '  it  will  pay,"  but 
because  it  is  the  spirit  and  obligation  of  our  order,  and  the  expression  of 
our  love  and  honor  for  our  country.  We  can  show  our  patriotism  best 
by  meeting  the  demand  of  our  countrymen  and  our  allies  for  more  food. 
Our  members  should  consider  it  a  privilege  to  render  this  necessary  and 
patriotic  service. 

PATRIOTISM  The  Grange  must  stand  out  as  a  willing  worker  for  national  life 
not  less  than  for  farm  life.  Our  country  calls  for  food.  Our  brethren 
across  the  water  are  in  distress.  The  future  of  our  Nation,  perhaps  of  the 
democracy  of  the  world,  depends  on  our  response. 

[92] 


03 

LOYALTY  If  our  boys  and  our  girls  remain  on  our  farms  and  perform  this 
service  to  our  country,  in  this  emergency,  we  want  them  to  feel  that 
they  are  performing  a  patriotic  service  no  less  than  the  patriotic  service 
others  may  be  called  on  to  perform  on  the  battlefield;  less  arduous,  per- 
haps, less  dangerous,  but  not  less  necessary.  To  secure  the  approval  of 
our  countrymen  and  of  our  Government  for  this  service  it  must  be  loyal 
and  complete. 

HUMANITY  We  are  not  yet  called  to  sacrifice,  but  we  are  called  to  serve. 
The  payment  we  are  to  get  will  not  be  wholly  dollars  and  cents;  far 
above  that  must  be  what  our  country  means  to  us  in  peace,  protection, 
and  prosperity  —  not  only  now,  but  in  the  years  that  are  to  come;  not 
only  to  us,  but  to  those  who  are  dear  to  us,  and  to  those  who  are  to 
follow  after  us. 

Fraternally  yours, 

S.  J.   LOWELL, 
Master,  New  York  State  Grange. 


LOAN  COMMITTEES  NAMED 

The  first  work  after  the  Commission  was  legally  organized  was 
that  of  naming  the  loan  committee  to  act  in  cooperation  with  the 
Patriotic  Farmers'  Fund.  Telegrams  were,  sent  to  the  masters  of 
each  grange,  Patrons  of  Husbandry  in  New  York  State,  instruct- 
ing each  grange  master  to  appoint  a  loan  committee  of  three  per- 
sons. A  large  proportion  of  the  grange  masters  acted  promptly 
and  the  committees  were  named.  This  telegram  was  followed  by 
letters  to  each  master  urging  those  who  had  not  already  named 
committees  in  response  to  the  telegram  to  do  so  at  once,  and  calling 
on  the  members  to  act  promptly,  efficiently,  and  patriotically  in 
taking  steps  to  increase  their  food-production  activities.  As  a 
result  of  this  work,  939  loan  committees  were  appointed. 

The  trustees  of  the  Patriotic  Farmers'  Fund  report  that  nearly 
$300,000  has  been  loaned  for  definite  work  on  the  farms  of  the 
State,  to  be  used  in  increasing  food  production  this  year. 

Correspondence  in  connection  with  this  project  was  voluminous 
through  the  months  of  May  and  June,  and  many  hundreds  of 
inquirers  were  told  definitely  how  to  obtain  assistance  from  this 
source. 

WORK  ON  VACANT  LANDS 

The  second  task  was  that  of  increasing  the  utilization  of  vacant 
lands  in  the  State.  These  vacant  lands  fell  into  four  classifica- 
tions: first,  those  farms  the  title  to  which  had  been  acquired  by 
the  State  of  Xew  York  under  mortgage  foreclosures;  secondly, 
abandoned  farms,  the  cultivation  of  which  had  been  given  up  in 
the  past  because  of  lack  of  satisfactory  return  to  the  owners; 
thirdly,  abandoned  farms,  the  cultivation  of  which  had  been  given 


94- 

up  because  of  personal  considerations  on  the  part  of  the  owners; 
and  fourthly,  swamp  lands. 

State-owned  lands 

Of  the  126  parcels  of  land  the  title  to  which  is  listed  in  the 
State  of  New  York,  and  which  at  the  beginning  of  the  year  were 
reported  as  not  under  lease,  38  parcels,  aggregating  3868  acres, 
were  held  as  forest  preserves.  Under  the  law  all  real  estate  that 
comes  into  possession  of  the  State  of  New  York  within  the  limits 
fixed  for  the  Adirondack  and  Catskill  parks,  and  certain  other 
lands,  are  automatically  removed  from  agricultural  use. 

Of  the  remaining  88  parcels,  aggregating  6918  acres,  very 
little  was  in  condition  to  warrant  cultivation  this  year.  A  ques- 
tion was  raised  as  to  the  State's  title  to  10  parcels,  aggregating 
over  1000  acres,  found  to  be  occupied  by  persons  claiming  title 
from  various  sources.  Lessees,  willing  to  pay  a  nominal  rental, 
were  found  for  three  farms  only. 

The  problem  presented  by  this  situation  is  one  which  deserves 
more  study  and  definite  action  if  the  State  desires  to  sell  this 
property  and  get  it  into  private  ownership  and  use. 

Vacant  farms,  privately  owned 

As  the  result  of  the  publicity  given  the  work  of  this  Commis- 
sion, a  large  number  of  idle  farms,  privately  owned,  were  listed 
with  this  Division  during  the  month  of  May  and  earlier.  The 
Commission  decided,  in  view  of  the  date,  that  it  would  be  both 
too  late  and  too  expensive  to  make  detailed  investigations,  but 
that  the  farms  'would  be  listed  as  offered,  the  names  of  near-by 
farmers  obtained,  and  an  effort  made  to  get  one  or  more  of  them 
to  take  over  part  or  all  of  the  vacant  land  and  plant  food  crops 
on  it. 

This  plan  was  successful  in  some  cases.  In  others  no  results 
were  reported,  but  there  is  reason  to  believe  that  the  plan  stimu- 
lated interest  and  helped  to  increase  the  acreage  of  food  crops. 

A  study  of  the  three  hundred  and  odd  parcels  of  property 
offered  this  'Commission  for  agricultural  service  showed  that  they 
fell  into  two  definite  classes:  first,  a  large  number  of  farms 
that  had  been  abandoned  because  of  lack  of  fertility  or  lack  of 
accessibility  to  markets,  rendering  their  operation  uneconomic 
and  inadvisable  under  conditions  prevailing  up  to  the  present 
year;  secondly,  farms  that  were  idle  this  year  because  of  personal 


95 

consideration  on  the  part  of  the  owners  —  farms  of  fair  to  good 
fertility  and  location,  but  whose  owners,  for  various  reasons 
disassociated  with  the  economic  value  of  the  farms,  did  not  put 
the  land  into  crops. 

Personal  inspection  of  the  farms  offered  for  service,  and  of 
those  reported  as  "  idle "  by  the  representatives  and  advisory 
councilmen  of  this  Commission,  was  not  possible,  but  from  the 
reports  made  it  was  apparent  that  there  was  considerable  acreage 
of  such  land,  constituting  an  undeveloped  and  unworked  resource 
worthy  of  attention. 

A  vacant-land  survey  is  contemplated.  Preliminary  plans 
have  been  made,  and  some  preliminary  results  have  been  obtained 
in  Albany,  Herkimer,  and  Chautauqua  Counties,  designated  to 
show  just  how  such  a  survey  could  be  conducted  to  cover  the 
State  and  get  the  most  effective  results.  This  is  to  be  made  by 
the  farm  bureau  managers,  who  are  to  follow  up  the  information 
contained  in  their  farm  census  blanks.  They  will  list  and  inves- 
tigate the  vacant  farms  in  each  county,  and  file  the  records  for 
analysis  and  further  work.  This  survey  is  strongly  recommended. 

The  abandoned  farms 

The  farms  of  the  State  which  have  become  idle  and  abandoned 
because  of  the  conditions  of  soil  or  markets,  making  further 
working  of  such  lands  unprofitable  and  uneconomic  under  con- 
ditions prevailing  prior  to  the  war,  afford  further  opportunity 
for  study.  Much  of  this  land  should  be  forested;  much  needs 
drainage;  some,  perhaps,  can  be  brought  into  agricultural  use 
through  increase  in  financial  and  technical  assistance,  and 
through  improvement  in  crop  prices  and  marketing  facilities. 

Swamp  lands 

Large  areas  of  swamp  lands  constitute  another  vital  factor  of 
the  vacant-land  problem.  Drainage  of  these  lands  would  largely 
increase  crop  production.  Activities  of  this  character,  which 
involve  engineering  operations,  have  not  been  considered  wise 
during  this  year,  when  emergency  work  has  been  uppermost. 
Work  is  progressing  on  some  drainage  projects  which  have  been 
greatly  embarrassed  by  war-time  financial  conditions;  on  others, 
preliminary  work  has  been  done  and  plans  have  been  laid  out, 
but  it  has  been  impossible  to  finance  the  work;  still  other  large 
areas  stand  idle,  without  even  the  preliminary  work  done. 


96 

This  swamp  land  is  one  of  the  most  valuable  undeveloped 
resources  of  the  State.  General  supervision  of  development  work 
to  bring  these  areas  into  use  is  found  to  be  divided  under  present 
conditions.  The  State  Conservation  'Commission  has  certain 
legal  authority  to  do  drainage  work;  individual  property  owners 
have  authority  under  another  law  to  form  drainage  districts.  Sin- 
cere cooperation  has  been  offered,  both  for  farm  drainage  and 
for  general  drainage  projects,  by  the  State  College  of  Agriculture 
at  Ithaca. 

It  is  recommended  that  all  available  data  011  the  subject  be 
collected,  and  that  those  projects  on  which  it  is  found  that  effort 
can  be  translated  into  increased  crops  in  1918  or  1919  bs  made 
the  subject  of  definite  assistance  from  this  Commission  or  its 
successors. 

FINANCIAL  ASSISTANCE  TO  FARMERS 

In  addition  to  the  cooperation  with  the  Patriotic  Farmers' 
Fund,  this  Division  has  cooperated,  in  the  project  of  financial 
assistance  for  the  farmers  of  the  State,  with  the  Land  Bank  of 
the  State  of  New  York,  the  Federal  Farm  Loan  Bank,  and  the 
local  banks  of  the  State.  The  project  is  the  result  of  the  following 
resolution,  passed  unanimously  by  the  conference  called  by  the 
]STew  York  State  Food  Supply  Commission  at  Syracuse,  July  5 
and  6 ;  the  resolution  was  introduced  by  A.  M.  Loomis  as  the 
result  of  an  informal  conference  of  representatives  of  banking 
interests  and  of  members  of  the  Executive  Committee  of  the  State 
Orange : 

WHEREAS,  Many  recommendations  have  been  made  at  this  conference  look- 
ing to  increased  food  production,  many  of  which  involve  farm  readjustments 
and  increased  cost  for  labor,  equipment,  and  storage;  and 

WHEREAS,  This  entire  program  of  advanced  agricultural  procedure  involves 
increased  use  of  money,  both  investment  and  fluid  capital; 

Resolved,  That  this  Conference  recommend  to  the  New  York  State  Food 
Supply  Commission  that  active  steps  be  taken  by  the  Commission  to  assist  in 
the  work  of  extending  the  operations  of  the  Federal  Land  Bank  and  of  the 
Land  Bank  of  the  State  of  New  York ;  and  in  cooperating  with  the  Patriotic 
Farmers'  Fund  and  with  the  regularly  organized  banks  and  bankers  of  the 
State  of  New  York  in  extending  credit  under  the  best  possible  terms  to  every 
farmer  who  can  use  such,  credit  to  increase  the  food  supply. 

At  the  meeting  of  the  Commission  held  on  July  10,  a  recom- 
mendation for  future  work  on  this  project  was  approved. 

This  work  includes:  the  instruction  of  all  agents,  represent- 
atives, and  employees  of  this  Commission  in  the  work  of  the  Land 


97  . 

Bank  of  the  State  of  New  York  and  of  the  Federal  Land  Bank; 
the  request  that  all  county  representatives  carry  out  the  purpose 
of  the  resolution  of  giving  the  information  outlined  to  all  farm 
bureau  members  and  community  organizations,  by  means  of 
circular  letters  and  other  publicity;  the  offer  of  the  facilities  of 
this  Commission  to  the  Agricultural  Committee  of  the  New  York 
State  Bankers7  Association  for  the  preparation  and  distribution 
of  literature  and  other  publicity  in  the  interest  of  extending 
banking  credits  to  farmers;  and  a  subproject  for  holding  group 
meetings  of  bankers  and  farmers  in  every  county  of  the  State  for 
the  purpose  of  bringing  about  closer  and  better  understanding  of 
needed  farm  credits.  Special  work  on  this  project  by  all  county 
representatives  has  been  ordered  by  the  Commission,  and  the 
project  awaits  only  the  close  of  the  harvest  season  to  be  put  into 
effect. 

No  plan  for  the  increase  in  food  production  and  the  elimi- 
nation of  present  losses  in  marketing  methods  can  succeed  which 
does  not  include  the  most  complete  and  perfect  system  of  han- 
dling the  financial  and  credit  features  involved,  and  in  this  work 
the  cooperation  of  the  banks  is  essential. 

RECOMMENDATIONS 

1.  The  Patriotic  Farmers'  Fund.      The  trustees  of  the  Patri- 
otic Farmers'  Fund  advise  this  Division  that  its  activities  are  to 
be  continued  for  another  year.     It  is  recommended  that  the  loan 
committees  named  this  year  be  continued  to  aid  in  the  proper 
administration  of  this  fund,  to  the  end  that  the  money  thus  offered 
may  be  placed  where  it  will  do  the  most  good. 

2.  State-owned  lands.     A  complete  record  on  the  agricultural 
value  of  state-owned  lands,  covering  their  location  and  present 
condition,  should  be  prepared,  and  legislative  action  sought,  in 
cooperation  with  the   Comptroller's   Office  and  the  State  Land 
Board,  looking  to  the  working-out  of  a  method  by  which  these 
lands  may  be  put  into  immediate  productive  use  so  far  as  possible. 

3.  The    abandoned    farms.      A    vacant-lot    survey    should    be 
carried    out.     Undoubtedly   some   state   assistance   is   needed   to 
get  some  areas  of  this  land  into  efficient  ownership;  other  areas 
are  probably  unfit  for  agricultural  use,  and  should  bs  definitely 
turned  to  other  uses. 


98 

4.  Drainage.     The  more  than  600,000  acres  of  swamp  land 
need  immediate  attention.     This  is  a  food-supply  problem,  and 
definite    cooperation    with    the    Conservation    Commission,    now 
charged  by  law 'with  the  work  of  swamp  reclamation,  should  be 
worked  out,  and  needed  legislative  action  should  be  urged,  to  get 
drainage  projects  under  way  where  large  possibilities  exist  for 
increasing  food  production. 

5.  Financial  assistance.     Cooperation  should  be  sought  whereby 
the  Xew  York  State  Land  Bank,  the  Federal  Land  Bank,  and  the 
Agricultural    Committee    of    the    Xew    York    State    Bankers' 
Association,  may  furnish  the  food  producers  of  the  State  with 
the  benefit  of  every  source  of  financial  and  credit  assistance. 


REPORT  OF  THE  DIVISION  OF  FARM  LABOR 

F.  W.  SESSIONS,  Commissioner  in-  Charge 

As  one  of  its  activities  the  New  York  State  Food  Supply  Com- 
mission instituted  a  Division  of  Farm  Labor.  The  Commissioner 
designated  to  conduct  this  Division  proceeded  at  once  to  get  in 
touch  with  (1)  a  hundred  men  prominent  in  agriculture  and  its 
allied  interests  in  every  part  of  the  State,  (2)  the  heads  of  all 
educational  institutions,  (3)  county  officials,  (4)  county  councils 
of  defense,  (5)  chambers  of  commerce,  and  (6)  manufacturers, — 
seeking  an  expression  of  their  opinions,  and  also  their  cooperation 
in  getting  farm  laborers  from  new  sources,  in  securing  the 
increased  tillage  of  county  farms,  and  in  obtaining  information 
along  many  lines  which  might  assist  in  solving  the  labor  problem. 
Many  helpful  responses  were  received.  From  private  sources 
came  assurances  of  cooperation,  and  county  officers  told  of  their 
efforts  to  utilize  dependents  and  convicts  in  producing  sufficient 
food  for  their  own  sustenance. 

The  census  survey  undertaken  by  the  Commission  on  its  estab- 
lishment, showed,  among  other  things,  a  shortage  of  more  than 
50,000  farm  laborers.  At  once  the  county  representatives  of  the 
Commission  sent  blanks  to  each  farmer  in  his  district  asking  for 
immediate  information  as  to  the  number  of  laborers  wanted,  and 
as  to  the  type  of  work,  wages,  hours,  and  nationality  preferred. 
The  replies  received  by  the  county  representatives  were  not  at  all 
in  consonance  with  the  survey-census  reports  as  to  the  number  of 
men  needed.  Indeed,  the  county  representatives  informed  the 
Division  that  not  more  than  one-tenth  of  the  farmers  originally 
reporting  their  need  of  labor  responded  to  specific  requests  regard- 
ing their  needs.  There  were  several  explanations  offered  for 
this:  one  was  that  when  the  farmers  were  first  canvassed,  many 
of  them  believed  the  State  intended  to  furnish  laborers  free,  but 
when  it  became  known  to  them  that  the  State  was  to  act  merely 
as  an  agency  to  procure  men  and  that  the  farmer  was  to  pay  the 
wages,  no  further  intimation,  in  most  cases,  was  given  of  any 
need  of  help;  another  explanation  was  that  the  wages  demanded 
by  laborers  was  so  much  in  excess  of  amounts  paid  in  previous 
years,  that  many  farmers  were  deterred  from  employing  men, 
preferring  to  plow  and  plant  only  the  acreage  they  were  able  to 
take  care  of  with  the  accustomed  help  to  be  obtained  locally. 

[99] 


100 

Notwithstanding  this  greatly  lessened  call  for  laborers,  there 
was  a  real  demand  for  men ;  the  need  was  great,  and  but  for  a  late 
spring  it  would  have  been  far  greater.  Commissioner  Wilson, 
Chairman  of  the  State  Food  Supply  Commission,  lent  to  the 
Labor  Division  the  services  of  Charles  W.  Larmon,  of  the  Depart- 
ment of  Agriculture,  a  gentleman  of  long  service  and  wide  ex- 
perience, to  assist  in  establishing  in  New  York  City  bureaus  for  the 
employment  of  farm  laborers.  These  bureaus  were  established  at 
No.  15  Pearl  Street  and  No.  8  West  17th  Street,  New  York  City, 
and  advertisements  for  farm  hands  were  inserted  in  the  daily  press. 
Nearly  one  thousand  men  were  sent  out  to  the  farms  of  the  State 
from  these  bureaus  before  their  discontinuance  on  July  15. 

At  the  same  time  the  Commissioner  in  charge  of  this  division 
held  a  number  of  conferences  in  New  York  City  with  various 
agencies  that  had  been  established  for  the  purpose  of  procuring 
farm  help.  It  was  sought  to  coordinate  the  work  of  these  organi- 
zations, and  in  a  measure  this  was  accomplished. 

Hundreds  of  letters  were  received  from  persons  in  the  city  and 
outlying  territory,  tendering  their  services  for  farm  labor.  Many 
of  these  persons  were  farm-born  and  farm-bred.  The  Labor 
Division  received,  through  the  United  States  Department  of  Agri- 
culture, nearly  a  thousand  letters  written  by  New  York  State  citi- 
zens who  were  desirous  to  engage  in  agriculture  to  help  in  the  cause 
of  crop  production.  All  such  persons  were  referred  to  the  employ- 
ment bureaus  in  New  York,  and  those  applying  were  registered  if 
found  fit.  Some  of  these  men  are  now  employed  on  farms  and  are 
doing  good  work. 

The  Commissioner  in  charge  of  this  Division  personally  visited 
thirty-six  counties  of  the  State  during  the  months  of  April,  May, 
June,  and  Julv,  calling  on  the  Commission's  representatives,  mem- 

*/  /  O  J- 

bers  of  county  defense  committees,  leading  farmers,  and  others,, 
seeking  and  offering  information  as  to  labor  conditions. 

Wages  paid  during  the  present  year  have  had  considerable  bear- 
ing on  the  farm-labor  problem.  Early  in  April  it  was  apparent 
that  the  wages  for  farm  hands  must  be  increased  if  any  help  was  to 
be  secured.  The  wage  of  $20  a  month  and  board,  was  a  price  of  the 
past,  and  $25  a  month  no  longer  tempted.  Word  had  gone  out  that 
$30  could  be  had  almost  anywhere,  and  by  May  1  few  men  with 
experience  could  be  found  willing  to  accept  less  than  $35.  a  month 
and  board.  In  July  came  the  demand  for  $40  a  month,  and  then 
appeared  the  farm  worker,  experienced,  who  wanted  from  $2  to 


101 

$2.50  a  day  and  board,  for  harvest  work  alone,  and  "  no  milking." 
The  Labor  Division,  during  the  continuance  of  its  bureaus  in  New 
York  up  to  July  15,  found  men  to  satisfy  most  of  the  demands 
made  upon  it ;  and  there  were  farmers  in  many  parts  of  the  State 
willing  to  pay  the  high  wages  demanded.  A  few  men  were  placed 
in  jobs  paying  $50  a  month  with  board  and  laundry,  and  these  men 
were  not  foremen,  but  good,  working  farm  hands.  Most  of  the  men 
sent  from  New  York  City  to  work  on  the  farms  have  made  good, 
and  this  result  was  accomplished  through  a  system  of  inspection, 
by  experienced  and  trained  men  in  charge  of  the  bureaus,  of  all 
applicants  appearing  for  employment.  It  is  true  that  some  of  the 
men  sent  out  were  failures  —  round  pegs  in  square  holes  —  and 
some  men  refused  to  remain  011  the  farms  to  which  they  were  sent. 
But  this  is  the  usual  story  to  be  gleaned  from  the  State  Agricul- 
tural Department's  records  during  the  years  it  maintained  a  sim- 
ilar service,  and  the  same  tale  is  told  by  all  employment  bureaus. 
However,  once  again  is  demonstrated  the  truth  that  only  by  careful, 
individual,  and  sympathetic  inspection,  by  determined  endeavor  to 
secure  the  right  man  for  the  right  job,  can  satisfactory  farm-labor 
service  be  performed.  In  one  instance  Mr.  Larmon  inspected  more 
than  three  hundred  applicants  for  farm  work,  and  from  the  lot 
selected  but  eight  men  who  in  his  opinion  would  be  useful  on  a 
farm. 

After  the  closing  of  the  Commission's  New  York  City  employ- 
ment bureaus  on  July  15,  the  county  representatives  were  directed 
to  refer  all  calls  for  farm  labor,  not  to  be  supplied  from  local 
sources,  to  the  state  employment  bureau,  the  Farm  Labor  Com- 
mittee of  the  City  and  State  of  New  York,  the  New  York  City 
Employment  Bureau,  and  other  agencies.  Kepresentatives  near 
New  York  City  w;ere  authorized  to  go  to  New  York  to  make  per- 
sonal inspection  of. applicants,  and  wherever  this  has  been  possible 
good  results  have  followed. 

Early  in  the  life  of  the  Commission  the  suggestion  was  made 
that  manufacturers  in  many  of  the  cities  of  the  State  might  He 
willing  at  certain  periods  during  the  summer  to  release  those  of 
its  employees  who  hnd  had  farm  experience,  to  assist  in  harvest 
work.  Plans  were  worked  out  for  the  payment  of  such  men. 
Chambers  of  commerce,  members  of  county  defense  committees, 
and  county  representatives  of  this  Commission,  canvassed  the  fac- 
tories of  the  State  seeking  the  cooperation  of  employers.  At  first 
the  response  seemed  to  be  all  that  could  be  desired,  hut  when  the 


102 

time  came  for  using  the  services  of  farm-bred  men  from  the  factory 
the  actual  workers  obtained  fell  far  short  of  the  number  indicated 
as  available.  Many  who  had  expressed  a  willingness  to  assist  at 
farm  work  demurred  when  called  upon,  and  in  the  end  the  result 
was  almost  negligible.  However,  there  were  some  notable  instances 
in  which  both  the  manufacturers  and  their  men  lived  up  to  their 
agreements. 

The  agencies  cooperating  with  the  Labor  Division  have  rendered 
importau  apftfgtnnwe  in  obtaMing  farm  hands.  Their  work  is 
not  completed  and  will  doubtless  go  on.  The  Labor  Division  can- 
not but  express  its  regret  at  the  discontinuance  of  its  bureaus  in 
New  York  City  at  a  time  when  they  were  coming  to  their  fullest 
period  of  activity.  The  experiment  stage  has  been  passed,  and  the 
men  and  methods  employed  were  at  their  best  to  carry  forward 
the  work  for  which  they  were  instituted. 

The  total  results  of  the  work  of  the  Labor  Division  have  been 
satisfactory.  In  the  first  place,  the  quickened  impulse  for  farm 
service  on  the  part  of  many  who  would  ordinarily  not  have 
responded,  is  immeasurable;  secondly,  the  spurring  of  men  with 
a  knowledge  of  farm  work  to  accept  the  wages  now  paid,  has  been 
considerable;  thirdly,  the  more  than  one  thousand  men  sent 
directly  to  farm  jobs  by  this  Division  of  the  Commission,  has  aided 
materially  in  securing  the  desired  end  for  which  the  Commi 
was  instituted  —  an  increased  crop  production. 

At  the  inception  of  the  work  it  was  decided  that  the  emergency 
need  of  supplying  laborers  to  the  farms  justified  the  expenditure 
of  money  for  the  transportation  of  prospective  workers  from  the 
cities  without  waiting  for  employers  to  advance  railroad  fares.  Tt 
was  felt  that  the  correspondence  involved  in  most  instances  would 
occasion  the  loss  of  from  a  week  to  ten  days  of  valuable  time.  In 
all  cases  it  was  the  understanding  that  the  employer  would  reim- 
burse the  State  for  the  fares  advanced,  provided  the  employees 
remained  for  a  definite  period.  Under  this  arrangement  several 
groups  of  men  were  sent  to  up-state  and  western  counties,  and  the 
transportation  was  in  the  main  satisfactory.  The  State  has  not  as 
yet  been  fully  reimbursed  for  the  fares  advanced  for  many  of  the 
men  sen+  singly,  but  payments  are  being  made  on  such  accounts. 
There  will  be  some  loss  because  some  men  did  not  remain  with  their 
employers,  but'  this  was  foreseen  and  accepted  as  a  necessary  part 
of  the  work.  Many  of  the  men  who  failed  to  remain  with  their 
firpt  employers  took  work  with  other  farmers.  Thus  the  desired 
object,  the  furnishing  of  farm  labor,  was  accomplished,  even 
though  it  entailed  a  small  loss  to  the  State. 


REPORT  OF  THE  DIVISION  OF  SEEDS,  FERTILIZERS,  AND 

LIVE  STOCK 

R.   D.  COOPER,  Commissioner  in  Charge 

The  work  of  the  Division  of  Seeds,  Fertilizers,  and  Live  Stock 
has  been  carried  out,  as  far  as  possible,  to  conform  to  the  general 
plan  outlined  by  the  New  York  State  Food  Supply  Commission. 

POTATOES 

At  the  time  when  the  New  York  State  Food  Supply  Commis- 
sion was  created,  the  scarcity  of  potatoes,  and  the  consequently 
high  prices,  brought  before  the  Commission  the  urgent  and  imme- 
diate need  for  an  adequate  supply  of  seed  potatoes.  To  insure 
an  increased  acreage  of  potatoes  in  this  State  in  1917,  it  became 
incumbent  on  the  Commission  to  find  a  source  of  supply  at  a 
reasonable  cost  to  meet  this  demand.  The  Commission  immedi- 
•ately  sent  two  representatives,  supplied  by  the  State  Department 
of  Agriculture,  to  Maine,  to  find  and  purchase  seed  potatoes 
which  could  be  furnished  to  the  farmers  at  cost. 

These  potatoes  were  distributed  through  the  offices  of  the  sev- 
eral farm  bureaus  and  county  home  defense  committees,  and 
were  available  at  prices  ranging  from  $2.90  to  $3.10  a  bushel, 
delivered  at  Albany  points.  Most  of  the  potatoes  were  No.  1 
Green  Mountain.  A  few  cars  of  Xo.  2  Green  Mountain,  deliv- 
ered at  the  same  points,  were  supplied  at  an  average  price  of  $2 
a  bushel.  The  tubers  were  of  good  quality  and  in  nearly  every 
case  were  satisfactory.  Local  prices  for  seed  potatoes  were  from 
$4  to  $4.50  a  bushel. 

The  total  value  of  the  seed  potatoes  distributed  by  the  Com- 
mission was  approximately  $115,400.  Without  the  aid  of  the 
Commission,  or  a  similar  agency,  the  farmers  would  have  been 
unable  to  get  enough  seed  potatoes  at  any  price.  The  lower 
prices  enabled  many  farmers  to  procure  potatoes  locally  at  the 
same  price. 

Aside  from  supplying  seed  potatoes  direct,  the  Commission 
furnished  its  county  representatives  with  exchange  lists,  put 
them  in  touch  with  other  supplies,  and  cooperated  with  the 
Mayor  Mitchel  Food  Committee  in  helping  to  distribute  the 
seed  potatoes  furnished  by  that  Committee. 

[1031 


104 

A  tabular  statement  of  the  seed  potatoes  distributed  through 
this  Commission  is  here  given: 

Potatoes    bought       Potatoes    bought 

County                                                     through    the  by  county 

Commission  representatives 

(bushels)  (bushels) 

Albany   1, 97934  300 

Allegany 674  4, 224 

Broorne   1, 210  290 

Cattaraugus 3,  743 

Cayuga 200 

Chautauqua   605  1, 815 

Chenango    800 

Delaware 1, 224  100 

Dutchess 625  

Erie 1, 253  4, 254% 

Essex 4,  200 

Franklin 2,  000 

Fulton 835  85 

Genesee 600 

Herkimer    2, 061  200 

Jefferson 7, 859%  

Lewis 1, 220  

Livingston    893  

Montgomery 755 

Nassau 1,  815 

Niagara 1, 815  

Oneida .                3, 802%  

Orange 6,  900 

Oswego   2, 034  600 

Otsego 2,  250 

Putnam 150 

Rensselaer 1, 893  

Rockland 129 

St.  Lawrence    2, 024%  425 

Saratoga 600  

Schenectady    688  

Seneca 88 

Steuben 626  6, 908 

Sullivan 1, 288  

Tioga 605%  200 

Tompkins 500 

Ulster    1, 220  700 

Warren   605  

Wayne 1,815 

Westchester   700  

Wyoming 288 

Yates 60 

Total   .                                                             42,083%  42, 


GRAIN 


Through  the  cooperation  of  the  State  Department  of  Agri- 
culture, the  'Commission  procured  a  list  of  the  sources  of  supply 
of  grains  for  seed.  This  was  reduplicated  and  copies  were  for- 


105 


warded  to  the  county  representatives.  By  this  means  the  farmers 
were  able  to  get  spring  wheat,  seed  oats,  corn,  ensilage  corn, 
barley,  beans,  alfalfa,  and  other  required  grains  for  seeds.  The 
Commission  was  unable  to  supply  field  peas  and  soy  beans 
because  of  their  scarcity. 


Buckwheat 

The  great  shortage  of  seed  buckwheat  and  the  very  high  prices 
asked  for  this  seed,  caused  the  Commission  to  purchase  several 
thousand  bushels  and  supply  it  to  the  farmers  at  cost.  This  seed 
was  distributed  through  the  same  channels  as  were  seed  potatoes, 
at  prices  ranging  from  $3.90  to  $4.25  a  hundred  pounds.  The 
prices  asked  for  this  seed  locally  ranged  from  about  $4.35  to 
$6.50  a  hundred  pounds.  Thus  a  large  quantity  of  buckwheat 
was  made  available  at  a  lower  price  than  could  have  been  secured 
otherwise. 

Many  thousand  bushels  of  buckwheat  seed  were  also  supplied 
to  the  farmers  indirectly  through  the  Commission,  which  referred 
the  farmers  to  sources  of  supply  and  enabled  them  to  procure  this 
seed  at  the  same  price  as  was  paid  by  the  'Commission. 

A  tabular  statement  of  the  buckwheat  handled  by  the  Commis- 
sion is  here  given : 

County  dumber  of  pounds 

Albany    9,  8'00 

Broonie 2,  000 

Chautauqua    07,  800 . 

Columbia   53, 200    • 

Delaware       9, 700 


Dutchess 
Erie    .    .. 
Fulton    . 
Greene    . 
Herkimer 


3,  200 
41,000 
500 
5,  500 
3,500 


Jefferson    4,  600 

Livingston 500 

Madi&pn    44,  300 

Monroe 200 

Nassau 600 

Niagara   1 ,  200 

Onondaga    2,  000 

Ontario    1,  200 

Orange   4,  600 

Orleans 5,  300 

Renss-elaer 3,  500 

Eockland   6, 100 

Saratoga   , 8, 100 

Schenectady    5,  600 

Seneca    500 

Steuben 5,  200 


106 

County  Number  of  pounds 


Suffolk  

....          ....            1,  700 

Sullivan    

600 

Tompkins 

2  000 

Ulster 

50  200 

\Vashinfton 

2  400 

\V6stchester 

100 

Yates 

600 

Total  377,360    =  (6289y3  bushels) 


Winter  wheat 

To  meet  the  demand  for  winter  wheat  seed,  the  county  repre- 
sentatives inspected  the  crop  in  the  fields  and  furnished  exchange 
lists  of  farmers  who  had  fields  the  wheat  from  which  was  suit- 
able for  seed.  These  lists  are  available  to  those  looking  for  seed 
wheat  this  fall. 

The  Commission  also  compiled  and  circulated  among  its  county 
representatives  a  list  of  dealers  having  available  seed  for  winter 
wheat. 

Spring  wheat 

Some  of  the  county  representatives  of  the  Commission  inspected 
many  fields  of  spring  wheat,  and  some  of  the  better  fields  should 
be  reserved  for  seed  purposes. 

FERTILIZERS 

After  investigating  the  sources  of  fertilizer  supplies  the  Com- 
mission found  that  it  was  unable  to  procure  fertilizers  for  a 
lower  price  than  that  quoted  to  local  agents.  Under  the  present 
situation,  it  did  not  seem  advisable  for  the  Commission  to  handle 
fertilizers.  The  Commission  urged  the  farmers  in  each  com- 
munity to  organize  locally  to  purchase  their  fertilizers  in  car- 
loads, either  directly  or  through  local  agents,  as  might  be  found 
best. 

The  county  representatives  have  been  given  the  names  of  manu- 
facturers of  fertilizers,  and  their  quotations,  and  have  been 
instructed  by  the  Commission  to  assist  in  every  way  possible  in 
forming  local  organizations,  emphasizing  the  need  of  utilizing  all 
car  space  to  the  maximum  capacity.  It  is  doubtful  whether  the 
demand  for  fertilizers  can  be  met,  because  of  car  shortage  and 
inability  of  the  manufacturers  to  procure  raw  materials. 


107 

BINDER  TWINE 

There  are  indications  that  many  cord  cage  companies  are  not 
manufacturing  hard  twine  this  year,  because  of  the  shortage  of 
the  supply  of  fiber  from  Mexico  and  other  sections  producing 
the  raw  material.  The  price  of  binder  twine  is  unusually  high, 
but  the  manufacturers  will  probably  be  able  to  supply  it. 

The  Commission  did  not  think  it  advisable  to  purchase  binder 
twine,  but  it  has  furnished  the  names  of  companies  from  whom 
the  twine  can  be  obtained. 

SILOS 

A  questionnaire  on  silos  was  sent  to  county  representatives  and 
advisory  councilmen.  The  replies  indicated  that  the  demand  for 
materials  could  be  filled  through  the  regular  channels,  and  that 
the  silo  situation  was  well  taken  care  of  in  the  dairy  sections. 

MILK  SUPPLY 

It  is  desirable  to  maintain  at  least  the  usual  milk  supply  of 
the  State,  and  the  Commission  has  gone  on  record  that  it  cannot 
too  strongly  recommend  that  every  farmer  should  consider  the 
practicability  of  breaking  up  more  hay  and  pasture  land  in  the 
coming  season  to  increase  the  acreage  of  non-perishable  products, 
should  raise  those  crops  that  are  best  adapted  to  his  land,  equip- 
ment, and  system  of  farming,  and  should  maintain  his  present 
milk  supply. 

The  high  prices  of  grain  feeds  during  the  past  spring  has  tended 
to  make  the  production  of  milk  unprofitable.  Because  of  the 
lateness  of  the  season  the  high  point  in  the  milk  flow  was  not 
reached  until  later  than  usual,  but  due  to  the  frequent  rains  this 
flow  was  kept  up  later  than  usual.  Indications  are  that  the 
supply  of  ensilage  and  corn  in  this  State  will  be  very  short,  and 
unquestionably  this  will  affect  the  supply  of  milk  this  winter. 

The  shortage  of  the  ensilage  crop  must  be  supplemented  by  the 
use  of  high-concentrate  feeds  if  the  milk  supply  is  to  be  main- 
tained. Because  of  the  high  cost  of  feed,  the  'Commission 
deemed  it  advisable  to  investigate  the  supply  of,  and  the  market 
for,  feed  for  dairy  cattle.  Accordingly  it  sent  to  Washington 
representatives  to  ascertain  the  Government's  plans  and  to  gather 
information.  These  representatives  then  went  to  Chicago  and 
took  up  the  matter  with  representatives  of  the  American  Feed 
Manufacturers'  Association. 


108 

After  the  Xew  York  State  Food  Supply  Commission's  confer- 
ence in  Syracuse  011  July  5  and  0',  the  matter  of  cooperative 
purchasing  of  dairy  feed  was  taken  up  with  the  Dairymen's 
League.  As  a  result  of  this,  the  Dairymen's  League,  through  Its 
board  of  directors,  voted  to  put  into  operation  a  plan  to  supply 
fuel  to  the  farmers  at  as  low  a  price  as  possible.  A  copy  of  the 
plan  which  was  adopted  by  the  Dairymen's  League  follows, 
because  of  its  interest  in  this  connection: 

1.  The   Dairymen's   League    shall    establish    and   maintain    a    central    feed 
office  in  connection  with  its  central  office  in  New  York  City.  It  shall  imme- 
diately arrange  for  the  manufacture  and  sale  of  feeds  according  to  the  for- 
mulas approved  by  the  New  York  State  College  of  Agriculture. 

The  indorsement  of  the  Dairymen's  League  shall  appear  upon  all  the  bags 
of  all  manufacturers  authorized  by  the  League. 

All  orders  for  feed  shall  be  approved  and  recorded  in  this  central  office. 

The  central  office  shall  assist  in  handling  transportation  difficulties  and  see 
to  it  that  there  are  no  delays  in  delivery. 

2.  Feed   shall  be  distributed  by  local  purchasing  agents  recommended  by 
the  local  branches,   acceptable  to  the  manufacturers,   and   approved  by  the 
executive  committee  of  the  Dairymen's  League. 

The  local  purchasing  agent  shall  solicit  orders,  make  up  the  car,  send  in 
orders,  collect  money,  pay  for  the  car,  notify  members  when  car  arrives, 
check  out  car,  and  adjust  local  difficulties,  etc. 

The  maximum  price  for  feed  shall  be  three  dollars  ($3.00)  per  ton  above 
the  wholesale  price  at  the  time  purchase  is  made. 

A  member  of  the  Dairymen's  League  in  good  standing  shall  receive  the 
following  discounts : 

If  he  takes  an  entire  carload  for  his  own  consumption,  pays  cash,  and 
takes  the  feed  from  the  car,  two  dollars  and  fifty  cents  ($2.&00  per  ton 
discount. 

The  reason  for  thus  placing  orders  for  carloads  through  the  local  pur- 
chasing agent  is  to  secure  disinterested  checking  of  quality  and  quantity  of 
feed,  taking  care  of  complaints,  and  other  usual  services  rendered  by  retail 
dealers. 

If  he  orders  in  less  than  carload  lots,  pays  cash,  and  takes  feed  from  the 
car,  two  dollars  ($2.00)  per  ton  discount. 

If  he  pays  cash  and  takes  feed  from  storage  house  within  five  days  after 
notification  of  arrival  of  car,  one  dollar  ($1.00)  per  ton  discount. 

Xo  discounts  shall  be  allowed  on  Dairymen's  League  feeds  sold  to  farmers 
who  are  not  members  of  the  League  or  to  members  who  are  not  in  good 
standing. 

The  executive  committee  of  the  Dairymen's  League  shall  furnish  to  oaeh 
local  purchasing  agent,  a  list  of  League  members  who  are  in  good  standing 
in  that  locality. 

3.  The  local  purchasing  agent  shall  solicit  standing  orders  to  make  up  cars 
to  maximum  capacity.     In  case  it  is  not  possible  to  make  a  full  car  at  con- 
venient intervals,  he  should  have  storage  space  to  order  enough  to  make  up 
the  balance  of  the  car.     This  extra  fcccl  will  enable  him  to  carry  a  feeder 
from  one  car  to  the  next  in  case  the  feeder  should  run  short  of  feed  before 
the  next  car  arrives. 

4.  Where  possible,  it  is  advisable  for  each  local  branch  of  the  Dairymen's 
League  to  recommend  a  local  feed  dealer  to  act  as  its  purchasing  agent  under 
a   contract   which   will    accord   with    the  plan    as   outlined   in    Paragraph   2. 
Where  this  is  not  possible  a  branch  'shall  recommend  one  of  its  members  as 
purchasing  agent  who  is  in  a  position  and  qualified  to  handle  the  business 
in  a  business-like  way. 

5.  The    feed    shall    come   directly    from    the    manufacturer    put   up    in    one 


109 

hundred   (100)   pound  net  weight  bags  with  the  guarantee  that  the  contents 
of  the  bag  are  satisfactory  a's  to  quality. 

6.  If  the  feed  is  not  satisfactory,  a  committee  composed  of  the  local  pur- 
chasing   agent,    a    representative    of   the    manufacturer,    and    the   member   or 
members  receiving  such  feed,  is  authorized   to  make  due   allowance  for  the 
difference.     In  case  no  satisfactory   agreement   can   be   reached  by  this  com- 
mittee, the   executive  committee  of   the   Dairymen's  League   shall   appoint   a 
committee  who  shall  have  full  power  to  legisl:Ue  on  such  matter. 

7.  All  manufacturers  in  accepting  an  order  must  send  the  feed  guaranteed 
in  accordance  with  Paragraphs  5  and  6. 

.  regular  wholesale  price  slice!  shall  be  sent  weekly  to  authorized  local 
agents  and  the  central  office  of  the  Dairymen's  .League  by  the  manufacturers. 
A  special  price  sheet  shall  be  issued  when  there  is  a  change  of  fifty  (50) 
cents  per  ton  in  any  feed  listed. 

9.  All  the  business  carried  on  throughout  this  system  'shall  be  done  on  a 
cash    basis.      This   will    insure    all    parties    concerned   against    any    liability 
from  any  source.     This  not  only  insures  all  parties  involved  but  reduces  the 
cost  of  the  feed  which  would  be  increased  if  any  element  of  chance  or  failure 
were  to  enter  into  the  plan.     Cars  are  to  be  shipped  draft  attached  to  bill  of 
lading. 

10.  Farmers  will  find  it  to  their  advantage  to  buy  feed  through  this  sys- 
tem, not  only  because   of  better   prices,  but  also  because   of  the  guarantee 
which  they  are  able  to  get. 

Tlie.se  plans  are  subject  to  change  and  modification  by  the  executive  com- 
mittee of  the  Dairymen's  League. 

This  plan  has  already  been  made  public  and  circulated 
throughout  the  State.  It  has  met  with  approval,  and  the  League 
has  been  assured  of  the  hearty  cooperation  of  the  feed  dealers 
generally.  The  plan  will  be  put  into  effect  as  soon  as  the  neces- 
sary machinery  for  its  operation  can  be  put  in  motion. 

In  formulating  this  plan  it  was  deemed  inadvisable  on  the 
part  of  the  Dairymen's  League  to  disturb  the  present  channels. 
The  placing  on  the  market  of  a  first-class  feed,  manufactured 
according  to  the  formula  submitted  by  the  Xew  York  State 
College  of  Agriculture  and  guaranteed  by  the  Dairymen's 
League,  at  a  price  consistent  with  its  quality,  will  assure  the 
farmers  of  an  available  supply. 

The  already  established  State  Grange  Purchasing  Agency 
affords  another  channel  for  buying  first-class  feeds  at  prices  aa 
low  as  are  possible  for  feeds  of  this  quality. 

Reports  of  the  slaughter  of  dairy  cattle  from  .sections  of  the 
country  supplying  milk  to  the  large  cities  give  cause  for  grave 
concern.  This  extraordinary  slaughter  of  the  dairy  cow  has 
been,  and  is,  due  to  the  very  attractive  prices  paid  for  beef 
cattle,  the  scarcity  of  labor  on  dairy  farms,  the  high  cost  of 
feeds,  and  the  low  returns  for  milk,  which  are  not  adequate  to 
meet  the  cost  of  production. 

The  demand  for  products  manufactured  from  milk  has  alreadv 
made  inroads  upon  the  normal  supply  of  raw  milk  for  the  large 


110 

cities.  This  is  particularly  true  as  to  condensed  milk,  and  it 
has  been  shown  that  manufacturers  of  condensed  milk  have  been 
able  to  pay  prices  sufficiently  high  to  draw  raw  milk  from  its 
usual  channels.  As  a  result,  this  has  a  tendency  to  raise  the 
prices  for  milk  going  to  the  liquid  milk  market  and  to  decrease 
the  amount  of  butter  manufactured. 

To  foster  the  dairy  industry  and  put  it  on  a  more  intelligent 
and  efficient  basis,  the  Commission  has  been  able,  through  the 
State  College  of  Agriculture,  to  secure  the  services  of  a  com- 
petent man  to  stimulate  the  present  agencies  already  in  the  field. 

POULTRY 

Through  the  committee  of  the  New  York  State  Federation  of 
Poultry  Associations,  the  Commission  has  planned  to  carry  on 
several  educational  campaigns,  each  one  emphasizing  an  important 
method  to  be  followed  in  the  efficient  management  of  poultry 
flocks,  with  the  object  of  enabling  poultry  keepers  to  produce 
eggs  and  poultry  flesh  in  spite  of  -abnormally  high-priced  feed, 
labor,  and  equipment.  These  educational  campaigns  are  con- 
ducted as  single  units,  and  during  the  special  season  when  the 
methods  advocated  can  be  most  advantageously  and  effectively 
applied. 

The  first  campaign,  and  the  only  one  that  has  been  carried 
forward,  is  that  emphasizing  the  importance  of  culling  the  poultry 
flocks.  Since  the  culling  of  unproductive  fowls,  when  they  cease 
to  lay,  can  be  done  most  effectively  from  July  1  to  November  1, 
the  campaign  is  not  yet  completed.  By  practicing  the  methods 
advocated,  farmers  can  select,  by  means  of  external  characters, 
the  fowls  that  have  become  unproductive,  and  thus  retain  the 
desirable  and  market  the  unproductive  fowls.  By  this  mean>  six 
distinct  and  important  results  are  accomplished: 

1.  The  unprofitable  fowls  are  discarded  and  financial  loss 
is  thus  avoided. 

2.  The  food  that  the  unprofitable  fowls  would  have  con- 
sumed is  released  for  profitable  use. 

3.  A  large  quantity  of  poultry  food  becomes  available  for 
human  food  early  in  the  season  instead  of  late  in  the  fall. 

4.  A  congestion  of  the  late  fall  market  is  avoided,  with  its 
consequent  depression  of  price  to  the  producer. 

5.  The  reduced  flock  which  is  retained  can  be  handled 
'  more  efficiently  and  more  profitably. 


Ill 

6.  Superior  results  are  obtained  by  breeding  from  the 
most  profitable  birds  only,  instead  of  from  the  average  of  the 
flock.  This  has  a  value  which  cannot  be  estimated  because 
it  will  extend  for  generations.  By  the  methods  of  selection 
advocated,  the  consumer  and  the  producer  both  gain. 

In  the  accompanying  table  is  given  an  estimate  based  on  actual 
results  obtained  in  similar  campaigns  in  other  years.  These 
results  might  reasonably  be  expected  if  a  stock  selection  could 
be  extended  to  include  all  counties  of  the  State.  In  this  table 
two  sets  of  estimates  are  shown,  one  based  on  the  possibility  of 
reaching  100  per  cent  of  the  poultry,  the  other  based  on  reaching 
only  8  per  cent  —  the  latter  proportion  being  conservative,  and 
considerably  less  than  has  been  reached  in  some  counties.  It  is 
seen,  from  the  figures  submitted,  that  if  only  8  per  cent  of  the 
poultry  should  be  selected,  there  would  result  a  saving  of  2121 
tons  of  feed,  worth  $127,260.  In  addition  to  this,  the  increase 
in  egg  production  next  year,  due  to  the  fact  that  only  the  profit- 
able fowls  are  retained  instead  of  the  average  of  the  flock,  would 
be  431,600  dozen  eggs,  worth  $129,480. 


112 


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114 

Among  other  campaigns  to  be  waged  during  the  year  are  : 

1.  To  emphasize  the  importance  of  hatching  chickens  at  the 
right  time   in  order  to   secure  the   most   profitable  production. 
This  would  result  in  vastly  increasing  the  number  of  eggs  pro- 
duced in  periods  of  greatest  scarcity,  namely,  the  fall  and  winter 
months. 

2.  To  rear  chickens  in  large  flocks  by  less  expensive  and  more 
efficient  methods.     This  would  result  in  making  it  possible  for 
persons  to  rear  many  more  fowls  than  they  do  at  the  present  time. 

3.  To  increase  the  keeping  of  purebred  poultry,  bred  for  uni- 
formity and  superiority  in  type  of  body  and  egg  and  in  productive- 
ness. 

4.  To  advocate  the  remodeling  of  poultry  buildings  and  plants 
on  an  efficiency  basis.     This  would  decrease  labor  and  first  cost 
of  construction,  and  reduce  mortality  because  of  better  ventilation 
and  more  sanitary  conditions. 

In  the  campaign  conducted,  the  staffs  of  the  Department  of 
Poultry  Husbandry  of  the  New  York  State  College  of  Agricul- 
ture and  the  secondary  agricultural  schools  have  furnished  all  the 
men  without  extra  compensation.  Frequently  the  lecturers  and 
demonstrators  have  volunteered  for  this  service  during  their  regu- 
lar vacation  periods.  The  farm  bureau  managers  and  the  officers 
of  poultry  associations  have  given  freely  of  their  time  and  money 
in  advertising  meetings  and  in  providing  free  transportation. 

Up  to  'September  1,  work  had  been  done  in  fourteen  counties. 
Seven  persons  had  been  engaged  for  part  or  all  of  their  time,  and 
sixty-eight  days  had  been  devoted  to  the  work. 


OF  SELECTION  CAMPAIGN  TO  SEPTEMBER  1,  191 


Representative  Place  Davs 

pledged 

F.   D.   Brooks Chenango    County 2  1.  OfiO 

H.  E.  Botsford Rockland  County    5  17]  394 

W.    G.    Krum Ulster  County   4 

W.    G.    Krum Cortland  County 4 

W.    G.    Krum Bath,   Steuben    County 1 

W.    G,    Krum Dutchess   County    .  . . 5  21,  795 

W.    G.    Krum Wayne   County    6  ........ 

J.  E.  Rice Congers,  Rockland  County 1      

J.  E.  Rice Black  River,  Jefferson   County. ,  1      

E.   W.   Benjamin Yates   County 9. 

L.  M.  Hurd Allegany    County    6  7,  149 

L.  M.  Hurd Delaware  County    0      

L.  M.  Hurd Broome    County " 6      

L.  M.  Hurd Chenango    County G      

L.  M.  Hurd Otsego  County    .'". 6 

O.    C.   Krum Saratoga   County    f> 

O.    C.   Krum Bath,   Steuben   County 1  .....'.'.'.' 


115 

Demonstrations  have  been  scheduled  for  the  following  counties 
after  September  1 : 

Westchester  Madison  Albany 

Chemung     .  .    Schoharie  Jefferson 

Orange  Orleans  Nassau 

Tompkins  Chautauqua  Suffolk 

Tioga  Sullivan  Greene 

St.  Lawrence  Warren 

Poultry  farm  survey 

A  survey  sheet  has  been  extensively  circulated  in  order  to  ascer- 
tain the  poultry  situation  in  the  State.  About  400  of  the  surveys 
have  been  returned. 


REPORT  OF  THE  DIVISION  OF  TRANSPORTATION  AN 

MACHINERY 

S.  J.  T.  BUSH,  Commissioner  in  Charge 

The  Division  of  Transportation  and  Machinery  of  the  Xew 
York  State  Food  Supply  Commission  was  placed  in  charge  of 
'Commissioner  Seth  J.  T.  Bush,  President  of  the  Western  2s"ew 
York  Horticultural  Society.  Mr.  F.  G.  Behrends,  of  Ithaca,  Xew 
York,  was  appointed  assistant  to  Commissioner  Bush,  and  took 
charge  of  the  management  of  the  various  machines  and  of  the 
office  details  of  the  work  on  May  15,  1917. 

TRANSPORTATION 

The  nation-wide  call  for  increased  production,  and  the  enormous 
demands  put  upon  the  railroads,  were  bound  to  result  in  congestion 
of  freight,  embargoes,  lack  of  equipment,  and  delays  in  transit. 
The  Commission,  therefore,  decided  to  organize  a  division  of  trans- 
portation, to  aid  the  farmers  of  the  State  in  obtaining  prompt 
deliveries  of  agricultural  commodities  and  supplies. 

On  April  26  the  following  letter  was  sent  to  each  of  the  impor- 
tant railroads  operating  in  ^N"ew  York  State : 

Tliis  Commission  is  very  anxious  to  expedite  in  every  way  possible  the 
delivery  of  seed,  feed,  fertilizer,  spraying  material,  agricultural  machinery, 
lime,  and  drain  tile,  all  of  which  are  urgently  needed  for  increased  production 
of  foodstuffs  in  this  State.  Will  you  kindly  have  your  Company  write  me 
the  assurance  that  the  above  commodities  will  be  given  preferential  delivery 
by  your  road?  Energetic  action  will  be  necessary  if  we  are  to  secure  a  normal 
production,  to  say  nothing  of  increasing  it.  Be  sure  to  advise  me  to  whom 
all  complaints  should  be  addressed  by  mail  and  wire,  to  secure  the  most 
prompt  attention. 

The  replies  to  the  letter  were  prompt,  each  road  expressing  its 
desire  to  cooperate.  A  list  of  the  officials  to  whom  complaints 
should  be  addressed  was  incorporated  in  a  circular  letter  and  sent 
to  each  county  representative.  Many  complaints  were  received 
of  delay  in  delivery  of  agricultural  supplies,  notably  seeds,  ferti- 
lizer, and  machinery,  and  the  county  representatives  were  advised 
that  it  would  be  well  for  them  to  handle  such  complaints  as 
directly  as  possible  in  order  that  delay  might  be  obviated.  Com- 
plaints relating  to  delay  in  delivery  of  shipments  originating  with- 
out the  State  were  to  be  reported  to  the  Commission  of  Car 
Service,  ~No.  710  13th  Street,  Washington,  D.  C.,  and  complaints 
relating  to  shipments  originating  within  the  State  were  to  be 

[11G] 


117 

referred  to  the  ©fficials  of  the  road  on  which  the  shipment  orig- 
inated. These  complaints  were  to  state:  (1)  commodity  shipped; 
(2)  name  and  address  of  shipper;  (3)  name  and  address  of  con- 
signee; (4)  name  of  railroad  on  which  shipment  originated;  (5) 
point  of  shipment;  (6)  car  number,  and  initial  in  which  shipment 
was  made.  The  information  was  also  to  include  the  routing  of 
the  car. 

A  copy  of  each  complaint  was  to  be  sent  at  once  to  the  Albany 
office,  in  order  that  the  matter  might  be  followed  up  and  given 
vigorous  attention.  Hundreds  of  complaints  were  handled  directly 
through  the  county  representatives  without  going  through  the 
Albany  office,  thus  saving  considerable  time  and  assuring  the 
quickest  possible  delivery  of  shipments.  Blank  forms  supplied 
to  the  representatives,  when  properly  filled  out  and  sent  to  the 
railroad,  gave  all  necessary  data  for  locating  a  shipment. 

About  May  1  the  first  poster  of  this  Division  was  issued,  con- 
taining this  notice:  "Are  your  shipments  of  seeds,  fertilizer,  and 
machinery  being  held  up  '?  Can  you  get  what  you  need  ?  "  This 
was  sent  broadcast  over  the  State,  and  brought  the  matter  to  the 
attention  of  thousands  of  farmers. 

More  than  200  complaints  of  delay  in  transportation  of  impor- 
tant agHeultn*al  products  were  handled  by  the  Albany  office  in 
addition  to  those  handled  directly  at  the  local  county  offices.  The 
number  of  complaints,  however,  is  really  no  fair  indication  of  the 
volume  of  business,  for  the  reason  that  some  complaints  involved 
a  large  number  of  shipments  and  in  some  cases  a  general  con- 
dition. The  complaints  handled  may  be  divided  into  four  groups: 
embargoes,  insufficient  equipment,  lost  shipments,  and  delayed 
shipments. 

Complaints  of  embargoes  were  mostly  of  a  general  nature,  and 
not  of  single  specific  shipments.  They  involved  farm  machinery, 
lumber  for  silos,  drain  tile,  clay  from  which  drain  tile  are  made, 
fruit  baskets,  and  packages.  In  each  case  the  embargo  either  was 
raised  or  was  modified  to  allow  the  movement  of  these  commodities. 

Complaints  of  insufficient  equipment  arose  from  the  railroads' 
not  supplying  sufficient  rolling  stock  to  move  certain  products. 
The  railroads  have  done  all  within  their  power  to  relieve  this 
situation  and  have  supplied  the  needed  equipment. 

Lost  and  delayed  shipments  were  traced,  and  most  of  them  were 
located  and  delivered.  In  the  case  of  those  which  could  not  be 
located,  the  shippers  were  advised  as  to  the  proper  official  with 
whom  they  should  take  up  the  matter  of  settlement. 


118 

Nearly  one-half  of  the  complaints  involved  the  shipment  of 
seeds.  Fertilizers  and  machinery  came  next. 

MACHINERY 
Tractors 

Believing  that  through  the  use  of  farm  tractors  and  tillage 
implements  the  agricultural  products  of  New  York  State  could 
be  largely  increased,  the  Commission  purchased  forty-two  tractors 
of  the  following  makes  and  power:  Case  9-18  with  two-bottom 
plow;  Case  10-20'  with  three-bottom  plow ;  Mogul  8-16  with  two- 
bottom  plow,  disk  harrow,  tandem  cutaway  harrow,  and  60-tooth- 
peg  harrow;  Titan  10-20  with  three-bottom  plow,  disk  harrow, 
tandem  cutaway  harrow,  and  70-tooth-peg  harrow.  The  aim  in 
purchasing  these  machines  was  threefold:  first,  to  increase  the 
number  of  acres  plowed  and  tilled  during  the  season  of  1917; 
secondly,  to  demonstrate  the  feasibility  of  such  aid  by  the  State; 
and  thirdly,  to  test  the  practicability  of  the  tractor  under  Xew 
York  conditions. 

During  the  month  of  May,  sixteen  tractors  were  placed  in 
various  counties  of  the  State;  during  the  months  of  June  and 
July,  sixteen  additional  tractors  were  placed;  and  during  the 
months  of  August  and  September,  ten  more  were  placed.  These 
tractors  were  lent  to  a  county  farm  bureau  association,  to  a  county 
home  defense  committee,  or  to  a  group  of  responsible  farmers 
who  organized.  The  contract  was  executed  in  ^ach  case  between 
one  of  the  above  organizations  and  this  Commission.  The  organi- 
zation receiving  a  machine  paid  to  this  Commission  a  deprecia- 
tion charge  to  partly  cover  the  mechanical  wear  on  the  machine. 
This  charge  varied  with  the  size  of  the  machine  borrowed  and  with 
the  length  of  the  season  available  for  its  use.  The  tractors  and 
equipment  thus  turned  over  to  the  organization  by  this  Commis- 
sion remained  the  property  of  the  State  and  under  its  control  and 
supervision. 

The  organization  guaranteed  to  plow  at  least  a  minimum  num- 
ber of  acres,  this  minimum  varying  with  the  size  of  the  machine 
and  the  length  of  the  season  available  for  its  use.  It  further  agreed 
to  hire  an  operator,  purchase  all  fuel  and  oils  necessary  for  opera- 
tion, make  all  necessary  repairs,  and  charge  the  farmers  of  its 
particular  community  so  much  per  hour  or  per  acre,  just  enough 
to  cover  all  expenses  of  operation.  The  local  supervision  of  the 
machines  was  placed  in  the  hands  of  the  county  farm  bureau 
manager  or  the  county  representative  of  the  Commission.  A  com- 


119 

petent  tractor  engineer  was  hired  by  the  State,  whose  duties  con- 
sisted in  visiting  the  various  state-owned  machines,  inspecting 
them,  aiding  in  repairing  them,  and  training  men  for  operators. 

The  season  was  unusually  wet  and  a  number  of  tractors  could 
not  be  used  to  their  utmost  capacity.  Many  reports  show  that 
some  of  these  machines  were  compelled  to  be  idle  for  more  than 
half  the  time  because  of  weather  conditions.  Reports  for  the  past 
month  show  a  great  increase  in  the  amount  of  work  done  by  each 
machine,  and  the  prospects  are  that  these  state-owned  machines 
will  yet  plow  between  2500  and  3000  acres  of  land  for  wheat, 
rye,  and  other  fall  plowing.  Results  must  be  judged  in  the  light 
of  the  unusual  season  and  the  fact  that  many  of  these  tractors 
were  not  placed  until  late  in  August. 

The  state  tractors  have  plowed  more  than  3000  acres,  har- 
rowed more  than  4000  acres,  and  worked  on  at  least  150  farms. 
In  most  cases  the  farmers  were  well  satisfied,  and  in  one  county 
the  fields  to  be  plowed  totaled  several  hundred  acres.  At  the 
present  time  all  tractors  are  placed  and  there  are  demands  for 
several  more  which  cannot  be  filled.  During  those  times  of  the 
year  when  there  is  little  demand  for  plowing,  the  machines  have 
been  used  for  such  work  as  drilling,  mowing,  hauling  in  hay,  and 
filling  silos.  There  has  been  little  idleness,  therefore,  for  some 
machines. 

Ditching  machines 

The  drainage  problem  is  one  of  the  largest  problems  facing  the 
farmers  of  New  York  State.  Recognizing  this,  the  Commission 
purchased,  during  the  late  summer,  three  large  power  ditching 
machines,  capable  of  excavating  75  rods  or  more  in  a  ten-hour 
day. 

The  demand  for  these  machines  by  the  various  counties  of  the 
State  far  exceeded  the  supply.  One  of  the  machines  started  work 
on  August  24,  was  idle  seven  days  for  repairs,  and  excavated 
approximately  1100  rods  to  September  15.  Another  machine 
was  started  on  August  13,  was  idle  because  of  rain  two  days 
and  because  of  repairs  one  day,  and  excavated  approximately  600 
rods  of  ditch  to  September  15.  The  third  machine  began  work 
on  September  4,  was  idle  eight  days  for  repairs,  and  excavated 
approximately  80  rods  of  ditch.  So  far  the  machines  have  dug 
approximately  1800  rods  of  ditch. 

These  machines  were  lent  to  farm  bureau  associations,  the 
contract  embodying  the  following  agreements:  the  organization 


120 

was  to  pay  this  Commission  a  depreciation  charge  of  ten  cents 
a  rod  for  the  mechanical  wear  on  the  machine;  it  was  to  hire  an 
operator  and  his  helper,  purchase  all  oil,  fuel,  and  supplies,  mj 
all  necessary  repairs,  and  charge  the  farmer  fifty  cents  a  rod  for 
a  3-foot  ditch,  the  price  increasing  according  to  scale  up  to 
5-foot  ditch.  The  Commission  furnished  the  services  of  tw( 
expert  drainage  engineers  to  lay  out  the  land  ahead  of  these 
machines.  More  than  12,000  rods  are  contracted  ahead  of  the 
machines,  and  this  is  much  more  than  they  will  be  able  to  do 
this  fall. 

Prices  on  various  sizes  of  clay  and  concrete  tile  were  obtained 
from,  many  manufacturers.  These  prices  were  incorporated  in  a 
circular  letter  and  sent  to  all  representatives  interested  in  tile 
drainage.  Data  referring  to  the  advisability,  cost,  and  procedure 
in  the  manufacture  of  concrete  tile  were  collected  for  another 
circular  letter. 

Sprayers 

During  the  spring  an  increased  potato  acreage  was  urged. 
Appreciating  that  much  of  the  benefit  of  this  increased  acreage 
would  be  lost  should  the  potato  blight  attack  the  crop,  the  Com- 
mission purchased  a  limited  number  of  potato  sprayers.  These 
machines  were  lent  through  county  representatives  to  a  com- 
munity, to  a  county  farm  bureau  association,  to  a  county  home 
defense  committee,  or  to  an  organized  group  of  responsible 
farmers.  In  the  contract  the  organization  guaranteed  to  the 
Commission  that  at  least  50  acres,  and  not  more  than  100  acres, 
would  bo  sprayed;  that  a  depreciation  charge  of  $25  would  be 
paid  to  the  Commission ;  and  that  the  applications  would  be  prop- 
erly made  under  the  guidance  of  an  expert.  It  was  the  policy 
of  the  Commission  not  to  lend  those  machines  to  a  s;roup  of 
farmer?  who  organized  themselves  for  the  purpose  of  borrowing 
one  of  these  sprayers,  but  only  to  those  groups  of  farmers  who 
found  it  impossible  to  get  a  potato  sprayer  for  themselves  through 
some-  local  agency. 

These  machines  have  sprayed  49  acres  four  time?,  oil  acres 
three  titties,  208  acres  two  times,  and  203  acres  one  time,  making 
a  total  of  Y76  acres.  They  have  worked  on  141  farms. 

Many  gratifying  results  have  come  from  the  potato  spray  work. 
Aside  from  the  direct  value  of  the  potato  crop  saved  by  these 
machines,  they  have  demonstrated  to  farmers  the  importance 
of  spraying. 


FINANCIAL  STATEMENT 

October  20,  1917. 

DEAR  SIR. —  Transmitted  herewith  is  the  financial  report  of 
the  New  York  State  Food  Supply  Commission;  the  activities 
of  this  Commission  being  terminated  by  the  provisions  of  Chap- 
ter 813  of  the  Laws  of  1917. 

Very  truly  yours, 

JOSEPH  H.   WILSON, 
Auditor,   State   Defense   Council. 
To 

Honorable  CHARLES  S.  WILSOX, 

Member,  State  Defense   Council, 

Albany,  New  York. 


FINANCIAL  REPORT   OF  THE  NEW  YORK  STATE  FOOD 
SUPPLY  COMMISSION 

Under  the  terms  of  Chapter  369  of  the  Laws  of  1917,  the  State 
Defense  Council  assumed  control  of  the  mcurrence  of  liabilities 
and  the  approval  of  expenditures  of  the  New  York  State  Food 
Supply  Commission  as  created  by  Chapter  205  of  the  Laws  of 
1917.  The  New  York  State  Food  Supply  Commission  having 
been  in  operation  from  April  17,  1917,  liabilities  were  contracted 
prior  to  the  advent  of  the  State  Defense  Council.  A  statement  was 
rendered  to  the  State  Defense  Council,  presumably  setting  forth 
all  liabilities  incurred  to  May  4,  but  subsequently  many  accounts 
proved  this  statement  to  be  incorrect,  for  under  the  conditions 
of  compilation,  latitude  had  to  be  given  to  the  formation  of 
the  Commission  and  extensive  operations  that  were  begun  —  for 
example,  the  formation  of  the  county  organization  offices  and 
the  taking  of  the  agricultural  census;  so  that  in  order  that  the 
files  of  the  State  Defense  Council  would  be  complete,  and  that 
the  system  of  authorizations  as  required  by  Chapter  369  of  the 
Laws  of  1917  would  entail  a  completed  cycle  of  operation,  it 
was  decided  that  all  liabilities  that  were  incurred  prior  to  May  4 
were  to  be  set  forth  upon  authorization  blanks  with  the  letter 

[121] 


122 

"  X  "  as  a  distinctive  mark.  These  authorizations  were  at  no 
time  to  be  considered  State  Defense  'Council  authorizations,  but 
were  merely  for  the  purpose  of  recording  and  charging  liabilities 
incurred  or  expenditures  made.  Therefore  this  report  will  contain 
the  two  conditions,  the  designated  "  X  "  authorizations  to  May  4 
and  the  authorizations  by  the  State  Defense  Council  from 
May  4  to  the  present  date;  but,  due  to  the  fact  that  the  entire 
expenditure  is  controlled  by  the  authorizations  as  issued,  the 
report  can  be  considered  as  a  single  condition.  The  total  amount 
entered  upon  the  books  under  the  designated  "  X  "  authorizations 
was  $38,849.27,  and  under  authorizations  as  provided  by  chap- 
ter 369  of  the  Laws  of  1917  was  $185,722.38,  making 'a  total 
carried  by  both  classes  of  authorizations  $224,571.65.  The 
expenditures  liquidating  liabilities  incurred  prior  to  May  4, 
were  by  terms  of  chapter  205  to  be  approved  by  the  Governor. 
The  expenditures  subsequent  to  May  4,  were  to  be  approved  by 
the  State  Defense  Council.  Until  the  advent  of  the  State  Defense 
Council  in  the  activities  of  the  New  York  State  Food  Supply 
Commission,  no  schedule  of  expenditures  had  been  presented  to 
the  Comptroller  for  payment  and  it  was  therefore  necessary 
for  consideration  of  both  conditions  when  schedules  of  expendi- 
tures were  presented,  therefore  the  control  of  liquidation  of 
authorizations  under  the  two  conditions  as  above  stated  was  in 
the  hands  of  the  auditor  of  the  State  Defense  Council.  The 
schedules  were  approved  by  the  Governor  for  that  portion  prior 
to  May  4,  and  by  the  State  Defense  Council  for  that  portion 
after  May  4,  therefore  the  report  of  expenditures  as  presented 
here  are  expenditures  that  were  audited  by  the  auditor  of  the 
State  Defense  Council,  either  for  the  approval  of  the  Governor, 
or  for  the  approval  of  the  Council,  and  being  embodied  in  this 
report  as  a  statement  of  expenditures  in  whole  against  the  appro- 
priation under  the  terms  of  Chapter  205,  506,  and  369  of  the 
Laws  of  1917. 

The  activities  of  the  State  Food  Supply  Commission  were 
divided  into  nine  subdivisions:  Administration;  Food  Conser- 
vation; County  Organization;  Schools  and  Colleges;  Distribu- 
tion, Storage,  and  Marketing;  Loans  and  Farm  Lands;  Farm 
Labor;  Seeds,  Fertilizers,  and  Live  Stock;  Transportation  and 
Machinery.  These  subdivisions  were  again  divided  with  a  specific 
purpose  for  each  under  the  supervision  of  one  of  the  commis- 
sioners appointed  by  the  Governor.  The  total  expenditures  to 


123  ], 

the  present  date  for  all  divisions  are  $212,188.51.  Attached  to 
and  made  part  of  this  report  is  a  statement  of  the  expenditures 
of  each  of  these  divisions  and  subdivisions  segregated  in  a 
manner  in  compliance  with  the  "Governor's  established  budget 
system.  It  therefore  is  possible  to  determine  the  exact  expendi- 
ture for  each  of  the  activities  undertaken  by  the  New  York  State 
Food  Supply  Commission.  The  total  authorizations  recorded 
upon  the  books  of  the  State  Defense  Council  under  the  condi- 
tions previously  explained  was  $224,571.65.  The  total  amount 
passed  upon  abstract  for  liquidation  of  the  above  authorizations 
was  $212,188.51,  leaving  a  balance  of  outstanding  authorizations 
of  $12,383.14. 

The  New  York  State  Food  Supply  Commission  presented  to  the 
State  Defense  Council  a  budget  covering  all  the  activities  of  the 
Commission,  which  budget,  after  due  consideration  by  the  Council, 
was  accepted,  and  the  Council  authorized  the  contraction  of  liabil- 
ities to  the  amount  stated  in  the  revised  budget,  but  with  the 
limitation  that  the  iiicurrence  of  a  specified  liability  was  to  be 
authorized  in  detail  upon  the  presentation  of  facts  supporting  the 
iiicurrence  of  the  liability. 

At  subsequent  meetings  of  the  Defense  Council,  this  budget 
was  supplemented  by  requests  for  additional  authorizations  to 
carry  on  an  activity  in  excess  of  the  budget  authorization,  or  to 
enable  the  Commission  to  take  up  some  new  activity,  which  at 
the  time  of  the  preparation  of  the  budget  could  not  be  foreseen. 
These  authorizations,  by  resolution,  were  also  to  be  controlled  by 
direct  Council  authorizations  when  the  items  of  expenditure  or  the 
items  of  liability  to  be  incurred  were  presented  to  the  Council. 
This  condition  would  allow  the  continuance  of  all  activities  by  the 
Food  Supply  Commission  to  their  termination,  or  by  the  Food 
Control  Commission,  if  the  latter  Commission  so  desired,  within 
the  appropriation  provided  by  Chapter  205.  The  distribution  of 
expenditure  as  presented  in  this  report  is  a  record  of  the  distribu- 
tion upon  the  books  of  the  State  Defense  Council,  taken  from  the 
schedule  of  accounts  forwarded  to  this  office  for  the  Council's 
approval  by  the  New  York  State  Food  Supply  Commission,  upon 
which  the  designated  division  to  which  the  expense  was  to  be 
charged  was  set  forth.  It  may  be  possible,  through  the  lack  of 
proper  information  transmitted  either  to  the  Audit  Bureau  of  the 
New  York  State  Food  Supply  Commission  or  to  the  State  Defense 
Council,  that  certain  items  may  not  be  properly  distributed,  but  I 


124 

consider  that,  due  to  the  manner  in  which  many  of  these  expendi- 
tures were  reported,  the  segregation  is  as  proper  as  could  be 
possibly  determined. 

By  the  provisions  of  Chapter  506  of  the  Laws  of  1917,  the  Food 
Supply  Commission  was  empowered  to  create  a  Capital  Fund  to 
carry  on  certain  activities.  The  Commission  therefore  applied 
to  the  State  Defense  Council  for  the  authorization  of  a  Capital 
Fund  in  the  sum  of  $20,000  for  the  purpose  of  purchasing  seeds 
to  be  sold  in  the  farming  districts.  At  a  later  date,  the  Commis- 
sion applied  to  the  State  Defense  Council  for  an  authorization  of 
a  Capital  Fund  in  the  sum  of  $10,000  for  the  purpive  of  distribut- 
ing farm  labor.  Prior  to  the  authorization  of  $20,000  for  seeds, 
there  was  expended  the  sum  of  $1,714  for  the  purchase  of  buck- 
wheat seed.  The  proceeds  from  the  sale  of  this  buckwheat  was 
applied  by  the  Commission  to  the  Capital  Fund  established  for  this 
purpose,  therefore  making  the  total  Capital  Fund,  under  the 
Division  of  Seeds,  Fertilizers,  and  Live  Stock,  $21,714.  The  State 
Defense  Council,  having  no  jurisdiction  or  any  faculty  of  keeping 
record  of  the  various  transactions  under  the  latter  Capital  Funds, 
therefore  records  the  amounts  withdrawn  from  the  general  fund 
in  totals. 

Appropriation  by  Chapter  205,  Laws  of  1917 $500,000  00 

Total  expenditures 212,188  51 


Cash  balance   .  $287,811  49 


Appropriation  by  Chapter  205,  Laws  of  1917 $500,000  00 

Authorized  by  State  Defense  Council 224.571   65 


Unauthorized  balance $275,42^   35 


NEW  YORK  STATE  FOOD  SUPPLY  QOMMISSIOH 
Total  Expenditures 

Personal  service $63,955  46 

Printing 12.770  95 

Advertising 17  53 

Equipment 59,091  72 

Supplies 7.299  24 

Traveling  expenses 26,493   16 

Communication 12,431  45 


125 


General  plant  service $       15  00 

Kent 114  00 

Farm  labor   (capital) 10,000  00 

Seeds,  fertilizers,  and  live  stock  (capital) •  20,000  00 


Administration 


Personal  service  .  . 

Printing    

Equipment 

Supplies    

Traveling  expenses 
Communication  . 


$212,188  51 


$7,747  88 
3,789  99 
4,374  84 
1,878  21 
847  23 
5,341  75 


$23,979  90 


FOOD  CONSERVATION 
Expenditures 


Total 
expendi- 
tures 

Administra- 
tion 

Rural  food 
conserva- 
tion 

City  food 
conserva- 
tion 

Insect  and 
plant 
control 

Personal  service  

$20,662  87 
1  279  07 

$1,707  17 
953  37 

$10,536  50 
294  00 

$2,687  05 

$5,732  15 
31  70 

Equipment  
Supplies 

24  49 
1,220  97 

24  49 
809  42 

M  22 

397  33 

Traveling  expenses  
Communication  

6,158  31 
754  01 

234  36 
519  75 

1,096  98 
37  00 

44  47 

5  15 

4,782  50 
192  11 

Total  

530,099  72 

$4,248  56 

$11,978  70 

$2,736  67 

§11,135  79 

COUNTY  ORGANIZATION 
Expenditures 


Total 
expendi- 
tures 

Administra- 
tion 

County 
or^n'za- 
tiona 

Agri- 
cultural 
census 

$18,652  39 

$     101  80 

$16  303  55 

$2  247  04 

Printing  
Equipment  

6,150  16 
462  91 
1,925  03 

3,856  71 
115  00 
116   10 

1,588  03 
259  93 
1    137  46 

705  42 
87  98 
671  47 

Traveling  expenses  
Communication                                          •  • 

5,195  53 
3,926  64 

312  89 
497  40 

3,579  79 
2,445  64 

1,302  85 
983  00 

General  plant  

15  00 

15  00 

Rent  

14  00 

14  00 

Total 

$36  341  66 

$4  999  90 

$25  328  40 

$6  013  So 

•  126 

SCHOOLS  AND  COLLEGES 
Expenditures 


Total 
expend^ 
tures 

Adminis- 
tration 

Agri- 
cultural 
census 

Farm 
cadet 
super- 
vision 

Military- 
training 
com- 
mission 

Farm 
cadet 
camp 

Personal  service  
Printing  
Advertising  

$  5,778  93 
194  08 
6  00 
83  03 
467  62 
11,258  30 
1,443  54 

$675  49 
69  85 

$     602  87 
51  87 

$     133  59 

72  36 

'"78'78 
2,078  37 
330  46 

S2.25S  52 

$2,108  46 

6  00 
83  03 
344  36 
441  25 
229  92 

"iss'is 

7  70 

44  48 
8,175  50 
866  90 

410  05 
8  56 

Traveling  expenses  .... 
Communication  

Total  

519,231  50 

$906  17 

$9,741  62 

$2,693  56 

$3,363  08 

$2,527  07 

DISTRIBUTION,  STORAGE,  AND  MARKETING 
Expenditures 


Total 
expenditures 

Adminis- 
tration 

Storage  and 
marketing 

$2,782  44 

$2,407  44 

S375  00 

212  54 

212  54 

378  03 

378  03 

32  85 

32  85 

171  95 

171  95 

8  37 

8  37 

Total 

$3  586  IS 

$3  211   18 

$375  00 

LOANS  AND  FARM  LANDS 
Expenditures 

Administration 

Personal  service   $1,788  83 

Printing 31  75 

Supplies    1  00 

Traveling  expenses 4AA  15 

Communication  .*.  . 16  88 


Total 


$2,282  61 


FARM  LABOR 
Expenditures 


Total 
expenditures 

Administration 
Albany 

Administration 
New  York 

Distribution 
of  farm  labor 

$  4  196  19 

$  3  775  67 

$  379  27 

$  41  25 

Prin  ing                             

988  27 

988  27 

11  53 

11  53 

246  50 

246  50 

Supplies  
Traveling  expenses  

58  46 
707  37 

24  99 
360  28 

29  97 
26  39 

3  50 
320  70 

Communication    

686  77 

141  21 

441  51 

104  05 

Total 

$6  895  09 

$5  290  42 

$1   123  64 

S481  03 

Capital  Fund  (Cash) $10,000'  00 

SEEDS,  FERTILIZERS,  AND  LIVE  STOCK 
Expenditures 


Total 
expenditures 

Adminis- 
tration 

Seeds, 
fertilizers,  and 
live  stock 

Personal  service          

$866  14 

$866  14 

Printing 

66  15 

66  15 

Supplies  
Traveling  expenses 

0  55 
494  24 

0  55 
375  40 

$iis  'si 

Communication 

35  23 

34  05 

1   18 

Total  

$1  462  31 

$1  342  29 

$120  02 

Capital  Fund  (Cash) $20,000  00 

Capital  Fund  (Supplies) 1,714  00 


TRANSPORT  ATIO-X  AND  MACHINERY 
Expenditure* 

Admini»tration 
Personal   service    $  1,479  70 


Printing    

Equipment    

Supplies    .  . 

Traveling  expenses 
Communication  .  . 
Kent  . 


58  94 

53,520  93 

1   55 

1,216  OS 

218  26 

100  00 


Total , $56,595  54 


128 


REPORT  OF  AUTHORIZATIONS  OUTSTANDING 

The  Following  Authorizations  Canceled  in  Part 


Authorization 
number 

Amount 
authorized 

Warrant 
number 

Amount 
paid 

Amount 
outstanding 

X-241  
X-272  *  

*   35  00 
60  00 

72 

72 

$   27  81 

55  00 

$   7  19 

5  00 

X-273     

45  00 

72 

30  00 

15  00 

X-274          • 

210  00 

39 

184  75 

25  25 

X-279     

280  00 

344 

225  00 

55  00 

X-7          •  •     .... 

99  33 

614 

99  18 

15 

X-14-29 

344  44 

614 

340  34 

4  10 

X-293       •    

669  25 

1  725 

667  75 

1  50 

X-295     

893  00 

1  628 

863  00 

30  00 

53          

50  00 

72 

38  53 

11  47 

56    

5  00 

72 

3  47 

1  53 

58     

36  00 

72 

31  30 

4  70 

68 

22  50 

39 

20  00 

2  50 

69       

30  00 

72 

27  37 

2  63 

2     

2,000  00 

39 

789  70 

1,210  30 

3  

18,456  78 

153 
33 

17,435  24 

1,021  54 

4      

2,173  65 

340 
153 
33 

94  30 

2,079  35 

14     

4  75 

244 
72 

3  95 

80 

16       

3  00 

72 

2  34 

66 

17   

5  50 

72 

3  08 

2  42 

18        

25  00 

72 

22  51 

2  49 

26    

/         16 

35          

185  44 

I        33 

131  13 

54  31 

84  

18  00 

344 

16  25 

1  75 

86        

7  00 

344 

6  66 

34 

101 

6  08 

479 

6  07 

01 

no       

4  50 

344 

3  48 

1  02 

Ill 

25  00 

344 

22  08 

2  92 

112           

20  00 

515 

14  42 

6  58 

113 

16  50 

344 

16  05 

45 

116           

2  50 

344 

2  08 

42 

117 

2  50 

344 

2  07 

43 

118     .      

7  00 

344 

6  50 

50 

121  
123 

45  00 
3  25 

344 

40  00 

5  00 
*3  25 

140 

29  90 

*99  90 

152  

815  40 

1  725 

8-14  60 

80 

165                

97  50 

344 

75  00 

22  50 

167 

4  00 

344 

3  15 

85 

168                

35  00 

344 

27  19 

7  81 

169 

5  00 

344 

2  50 

2  50 

187                 .... 

15  00 

344 

13  00 

2  00 

188  
189  
190  

5  00 
3  00 

7  50 

344 
344 
344 

3  36 
1  10 
6  31 

1  64 
1  90 
1  19 

301  
303 

2,437  70 
1,308  79 

1  756 

26 

2,399  59 
1,280  94 

38  11 

27  85- 

304     

3,452  61 

53 

3,450  1-1 

2  47 

378  
411 

65  00 
4  00 

344 
515 

35  SS 
3  25 

29  12 

75 

461  

1,505  90 

69 

1,505  80 

10 

462  
463             

813  49 
580  79 

69 

71 

812  49 
542  03 

1  00 
38  76 

464  

1,305  03 

71 

1,204  93 

1UO  10 

488      .       

12  60 

340 

11  70 

90 

509                 .  . 

6  00 

515 

5  65 

35 

512           

5  50 

515 

5  25 

25 

513 

6  00 

515 

4  48 

1  52 

538 

15  00 

515 

13  69 

1  31 

652               

15  00 

515 

13  86 

1  14 

653 

5  50 

515 

5  25 

25 

654 

9  50 

515 

3  60 

5  90 

656  
657  .          

304  00 
45  00 

515 
515 

144  00 
42  45 

160  00 
2  55 

665 

5  50 

515 

5  25 

25 

678         

42  00 

479 

32  00 

10  00 

688.  .  . 

42  30 

479 

41  95 

35 

129 


"REPORT  OF  AUTHORIZATIONS  OUTSTANDING—  Concluded 


Authorization 
number 


583 

784 

707 

747.... 

761 .  .  .  . 

765.... 

766 

770.... 

798.... 

817.... 

818 

838.... 

884.... 

850 

851 .... 
1059 .... 
1071 .... 


Total . 


Amount 
authorized 


159  98 

76  14 

665  00 

4,044  12 

25  00 

225  00 

25  00 

5  00 

5,000  00 

45  00 

12  00 

24  40 

540  80 

2,462  29 

2,164  36 

1,552  78 

1,145  42 


$56,967  77 


Warrant 
number 


153 
479 
344 
243 
515 
515 
515 


515 
515 
344 
344 
348 
329 
507 
527 


Amount 
paid 


158  98 
75  89 

657  00 

3,965  66 

24  45 

200  00 
24  45 


100  00 

44  45 

10  95 

19  75 

539  15 

2,459  85 

2,158  95 

1,549  40 

1,114  40 


Amount 
outstanding 


1  00 

25 

8  00 

78  46 

55 

25  00 
55 

5  00 

)00  00 

55 

1  05 

4  65 

1  65 

2  44 

5  41 

3  38 
31  02 


$46,845   13 


$10,122  6i 


The  Following  Authorizations  are  Uncanceled 


Authorization  Number 


A  moimt  of  Authorisation 


15  $  35  00 

89  22  00 

91  1'50  00 

97  850 

98  18  60 

104  ' 47  75 

178  200  00 

180  21  50 

196  180  00 

197   20  00 

384  79  00 

410  40  00 

415 600 

435  150  00 

456 160  00 

489  8  50 

507  60  00 

508  40  00 

515  58  34 

534  3  00 

536  4  7'5 

537 3  50 

540  3  00 

554  7  50 

647  18  00 

651          34  00 

655 7  00 

675  7  50 

676  8  00 

679  40  80 

680  •. 8  55 

763  87  50 

785  2  00 

787 1  70 

5 


130 

Authorization  Number  Amount  of  Authorization 

812  $  5  00 

813  5  00 

815  20  00 

816  10  00 

819  75  00 

843  250  00 

864  7  00 

865  4  50 

866  165  00 

870 20  89 

871  . 13  20 

878  3  00 

909  3  00 

927  75 

936  •  1  7 

941 1  50 

942  1  70 

957  18  75 

958 3  20 

959 1  80 

960  46  3S 

963  4  80 

964  12  80 

973  13  8 

984  5  00 

1042 1  25 

1057 13  00 

1097  .  10  50 


Total  .  82,  260  51 


APPENDIX  A 

« 

REPORT  OF  AGRICULTURAL  CONFERENCE  HELD  AT  SYRACUSE 

APRIL  6 

On  Friday,  April  6,  Commissioner  of  Agriculture  Charles  S.  Wilson  called 
into  conference,  at  Syracuse,  representatives  of  the  farmers  and  farm  interests 
of  the  State,  to  consider  what  steps  should  be  taken  to  bring  our  crop  pro- 
duction to  its  maximum  to  meet  the  demands  of  the  present  crisis. 

At  this  meeting,  the  following  resolutions  on  plans  for  increasing  agricul- 
tural production  in  New  York  State  were  adopted: 

1.  It  seems  certain  that  the  United  States  will  be  called  upon  to  furnish 
an  unusually  large  proportion  of  the  food  supply  of  Europe  during  the  next 
two  years,   and   it  is  imperative  that  our  home   supply  be  adequate.     Our 
farmers,  therefore,  in  common  with  other  citizens,  have  a  patriotic  duty  to 
perform  in  meeting  this  situation. 

2.  There  will  be  a  largely  increased  demand  at  favorable  prices  for  all  staple 
products  that  are  non-perishable,   such   as  the  grains   and  beans.     Farmers 
can  safely  break  up  a  portion  of  the  grass  lands,  provided  such  practice  does 
not  injure  an  adequate  forage  supply.    There  will  also  be  an  increased  demand 
for  perishable  products,  especially  potatoes. 

3.  Serious  losses  that  are  preventable  occur  annually  to  our  crops  from 
insect  pests  and  plant  diseases.    Agricultural  and  commercial  agencies  should 
cooperate  with  farmers  in  providing  an  adequate  supply  of  fungicides  and 
insecticides  and  accomplishing  their  effective  application. 

4.  The  labor  question  is  a  serious  one  and  under  existing  conditions  farmers 
are  apparently  justified  in  paying  a  high  wage  for  labor.     So  far  as  possible, 
animal  power  and  machinery  should  be  substituted  for  hand  labor.    As  aiding 
in   this   direction,   an   increased   cooperative  neighborhood  use   of    expensive 
machinery  is  suggested. 

5.  Since  considerable  hay  land  will  probably  be  broken  up  this  year,  and 
as  hay  is  now  cheap,  farmers  are  justified  in  holding  over  all  the  surplus  hay 
crops. 

6.  In  view  of  the  high  cost  of  commercial  feeds  for  the  next  two  years,  it  is 
desirable  to  increase  the  home-grown  supply  of  grain  and  cultivated  forage 
crops. 

7.  Large  quantities  of  grain  are  now  used  in  the  manufacture  of  malt  and 
spirituous  liquors.     If  the  food  situation  becomes  serious,  the  Government 
should  take  steps  to  restrict  the  amount  used  in  this  way. 

8.  Since  the  distribution  of  food  products  has  an  important  bearing  on  the 
food  problem,  the  necessary  steps  should  be  taken  to  provide  farmers  with 
proper  facilities  for  the  storage  of  food  products  at  convenient  points. 

9.  In  view  of  the  fact  that  the  whole  grain  products  have  as  high  or  higher 
nutritive  value  than  the  refined  cereal  products,  which  cost  several  times  as 
much  as  those  made  from  the  whole  kernel,  and  in  addition  involve  some 
waste,  housewives  should  be  encouraged  to  use  the  whole  cereal  products  of 
the  farm. 

10.  The  i'act  being  recognized  that  milk,  eggs,  or  meat  are  essential  to  a 
normal  human  dietary,  and  that  milk  is  the  cheapest  of  these  foods,  con- 
sumers are  urged  to  increase  their  use  of  milk  and  its  products,  including 
skim  milk. 

11.  Recognizing  the  fact  that  vegetables  are  an  all-important  factor  of  a 
good  diet,  the  planting  of  a  good  home  garden  should  be  encouraged  on  farms 
and  in  villages  alike,  as  a  matter  of  health  and  economy. 

12.  Measures  should  be  taken  which  will  encourage  housekeepers  to  increase 
the  home  preservation  and  storage  of  foods,  such  as  eggs,  vegetables,  fruits, 
and  meats. 

13.  Efforts  should  be  made  to  aid  the  housekeeper  to  decrease  the  serious 
waste  which  occurs  in  the  average  household. 

•  14.  In  the  interests  of  the  Nation,  this  conference  urges  upon  the  executive 

[131] 


132 

heads  of  the  railroads  of  the  United  States  the  imperative  necessity  for  facili- 
tating by  every  possible  means  the  prompt  transportation  and  delivery  of 
farm  seeds,  fertilizers,  feeding  stuffs,  farm  machinery,  and  such  other  com- 
modities as  are  indispensable  to  the  conduct  of  farming. 

15.  In  the  event  that  conditions  shall  demand  it,  be  it  resolved  that  the 
responsible   educational   authorities   of   the   State   be    asked   to    consider   the 
feasibility  of  releasing,  without  prejudice,  from  the  high  schools,  such  stu- 
dents as  may  be  available  for  farm  work. 

16.  That  it  is  the  judgment  of  this  conference  that  the  proposed  physical 
and  military  training  law,  in  its  operation,  should  not  be  allowed  to  inter- 
fere with  the  service  of  young  men  and  women  needed  on  the  farm  during 
the  crop-growing  season,  and  that  this  opinion  shall  be  communicated  to  the 
proper  officers  of  the  state  government. 

17.  In  view  of  the  necessity  of  maintaining   an  adequate  supply   of  farm 
products,  and  the  fact  that  farm  labor  is  already  wholly  inadequate  for  the 
normal  needs  of  production  in  preparing  this  Nation  for  the  present  crisis, 
due  consideration  should  be  given  to  the  necessity  of  maintaining  an  adequate 
supply  of  skilled  labor  on  the  farm,  and  that,  in  case  conditions  warrant  it, 
labor   on  the  farm   should  be  considered   as   of  equal   import   with  military 
service,  and  enlistment  for  agricultural  service  should  be  recognized  as  service 
for  the  Government. 

Further  resolved,  that  this  resolution  be  sent  to  the  Governor  of  the  State 
of  New  York  and  to  the  Secretaries  of  Agriculture,  War,  and  Navy,  and  to 
the  Chairmen  of  the  Committees  on  Agriculture  and  Military  Affairs  in  the 
National  Congress. 


Bulletin  No.  1  April  21,  1917 

APPENDIX  B 

PATRIOTIC  AGRICULTURAL  SERVICE  COMMITTEE 
STATE  OF  NEW  YORK 


Factors  to  be  considered  in  increasing  crop  production 
This  statement  is  issued  to  provide  a  basis  for  discussion  in  farmers' 
meetings  to  be  held  on  Saturday,  April  21,  in  accordance  with  the  proclama- 
tion of  the  Governor  of  the  State  of  New  York.  This  bulletin  attempts  to  set 
forth  what  are  considered  to  be  essential  factors  involved  in  any  attempt  to 
increase  crop  production,  and  it  proposes  certain  questions  for  definite 
discussion. 

Use  of  land 

About  one-half  of  New  York  State  is  classed  as  improved  land.  According 
to  the  latest  census  this  land  is  used  for  the  following  purposes : 

Cultivated    crops    3,350,000  acres     23  per  cent 

Hay  and  forage 5,050,000  acres     34  per  cent 

Improved  pasture   (estimated) 6,400,000  acres1     43  per  cent 

14,800,000  100 

It  is  evident  that  of  the  so-called  improved  land  in  the  State,  about  one- 
fourth  is  in  cultivated  crops  and  about  three-fourths  in  grass. 

Milk  supply.  It  is  probable  that  the  immediate  interest  of  New  York 
farmers  is  to  maintain  at  least  the  present  milk  supply.  A  large  percentage 
of  the  land  in  New  York  State  is  used  now  to  produce  the  milk  for  the  great 
cities  within  her  borders.  Before  we  consider  breaking  up  hay  or  pasture 
land,  we  must  first  see  whether  this  can  be  done  without  endangering  the 
milk  supply.  New  York  farms  as  a  whole  produce  a  large  surplus  of  hay.  This 
is  partly  the  result  of  having  a  fairly  good  hay  market  in  the  past,  but  also 
is  due  to  the  fact  that  in  the  past  grains  have  been  produced  in  the  Western 
States  cheaper  than  they  could  be  grown  in  this  State,  and  farmers  have  been 
justified  in  growing  hay  rather  than  grain.  However,  the  present  low  price 
of  hay  and  high  price  of  grain  justifies  farmers  in  again  taking  up  grain,  and 
WE  CANNOT  TOO  STRONGLY  RECOMMEND  THAT  EVERY  FARMER 
consider  the  practicability  of  breaking  up  more  or  less  hay  land  or  pasture 
land  the  coming  season  and  increasing  his  acreage  of  non-perishable  products, 
such  as  oats,  barley,  wheat,  rye,  beans,  buckwheat,  and  corn ;  the  crop  or 
crops  to  be  grown  in  each  case  depending  on  the  adaptation  to  his  land,  his 
equipment,  and  his  system  of  farming.  Attention,  however,  should  be  called 
to  the  fact  that  the  amount  of  hay  land  to  be  broken  up  will  vary  in  different 
sections.  In  some  counties  there  is  little  or  no  surplus  hay  at  present,  while 
in  other  parts  of  the  State  it  is  estimated  that  as  high  as  25  per  cent  of  hay 
or  pasture  land  can  be  safely  broken  up  and  put  to  grain  crops. 

Silage  corn.  In  the  culture  of  corn  silage  it  is  more  important  than  ever, 
in  view  of  the  high  price  of  grains,  to  grow  only  such  varieties  of  corn  as 
will  develop  a  fairly  mature  ear  under  normal  conditions.  This  has  long 
been  advocated,  but  was  not  of  so  much  importance  so  long  as  grain  foods 
were  relatively  cheap. 

Perishable  products.  This  country  normally  produces  about  as  large  an 
acreage  of  perishable  products  as  home  consumption  will  justify.  In  fact, 
New  York  has  decreased  about  2!5  per  cent  in  the  acreage  of  potatoes  in  the 
last  seven  years,  largely  due  to  over-production.  While  the  high  price  of 
other  products  and  the  possibility  of  some  exportation  may  increase  the 

"  [133] 


134 


NEW  YORK  STATE  FOOD  SUPPLY  COMMISSION 

FOR  PATRIOTIC  AGRICULTURAL  SERVICE 

WAN  TED 

AT  ONCE,  MEN  AND  BOYS  WHO  HAVE  HAD  ACTUAL  FARM 
EXPERIENCE  FOR  WORK  ON  FARMS.  ALSO,  WOMEN  FOR 
WORK  IN  FARM  HOMES.  SHOW  YOUR  PATRIOTISM  BY 
HELPING  TO  INCREASE  YOUR  COUNTRY'S  FOOD  SUPPLY 

FARMERS 


Do  fou  need  addition*!  labor  on  the  farm  ? 

Are  your  shipment*  of  seed*,  fertilizer*  or  machinery  held  up  ? 

Caa  you  get  what  you  need? 
Do    you    want    help     in     the     control    of     insect     pe»n>     or 

plant 


Do  you  have  difficulty  with  (torage  and  (hipping  facilities,  con- 
tainers, or  marketing  problem*  ? 

Do  you  need  a  short-time  loan  for  financing  your  farm 
operations  ? 

Do  you  want  information  on  the  home  preservation  of  foods? 


To  Enroll  for  Farm  Work  or  to  Obtain  Help  on  Any  of  the  Foregoing  or  Other  Matters, 
Apply  to  the  Commission's  County  Representative. 


NEW  YORK  STATE  FOOD  SUPPLY  COMMISSION, 
ALBANY,  N.  Y. 


-  It  M  cleart?  recogniied  thai  toe 
man  who  nib  the  toil  tnd  produce* 
the  food  for  the  soldier  in  the  field 
and  his  family  at  home  is  rendering 
»  patriotic  service,  as  truly  as  it  the 
man  who  bears  tbe  brunt  of  battle' 
-CHARLES  S.  WHITMAN. 


135 

demand  for  perishable  products,  the  Committee  is  not  prepared  to  recommend 
an  increase  in  acreage  with  the  possible  exception  of  the  potato  crop.  Our 
opinion,  however,  on  the  acreage  of  potatoes  must  be  more  or  less  tentative, 
as  it  may  easily  develop  between  now  and  planting  time  that  the  acreage 
should  be  largely  increased.  And  if  so,  such  information  will  be  given  out 
later. 

Methods  of  increasing  production.  Attention  has  already  been  called  to 
the  possibility  of  breaking  up  more  or  less  grass  land  for  cultivated  crops. 
From  3  to  10  acres  more  cultivated  crop  could  be  handled  on  the  majority 
of  farms  without  requiring  help  or  new  equipment.  However,  on  a  large 
number  of  farms  it  would  be  far  more  practicable  to  improve  the  cultural 
methods  on  the  land  already  under  cultivation  than  to  try  to  increase  the 
acreage  of  cultivated  land.  On  farms  where  the  land  under  cultivation  is 
producing  small  yields  due  to  poor  cultural  methods,  it  would  probably  be 
advisable  for  such  farmers  to  improve  their  cultural  methods  on  the  land 
under  cultivation  rather  than  to  increase  acreage.  They  should  not  only 
improve  cultural  methods,  but  there  is  more  reason  than  ever  for  the  intelli- 
gent use  of  fertilizers,  and  for  spraying  to  protect  against  insects  and  fungous 
diseases  as  a  means  of  increasing  the  yield.  As  a  general  rule,  increased 
acreage  of  cultivated  land  is  only  justified  in  cases  where  the  farmer  is 
already  growing  good  crops  on  land  under  cultivation. 


Questions  for  local  discussion 

In  order  to  give  direction  to  discussion,  it  is  suggested  that  the  following 
questions  be  discussed  in  local  meetings: 

1.  Milk  supply. 

How  much  hay  land  or  pasture  land  could  be  safely  broken  up  as  a 
temporary  measure,  without  decreasing  the  milk  supply? 

Would  it  be  advisable  to  hold  over  the  present  surplus  hay? 

Would  it  be  practicable  to  break  up  hay  or  pasture  land,  and  increase 
acreage  of  corn  silage? 

In  view  of  the  high  price  of  grain,  would  it  not  be  practicable  to  grow  a 
silage  corn,  early  enough  to  develop  a  fairly  mature  ear? 

2.  Increasing  production. 

Assuming  that  labor  supply  and  equipment  cannot  be  materially  increased 
the  coming  season: 

A.  Are  we  justified  in  increasing  the  acreage  now  under  cultivation? 

B.  Would  it  be  better  to  rather  intensify  culture  on  the  acreage  already 
under  cultivation,  by 

(a)  better  culture  and  tillage; 

(b)  control  of  diseases; 

(c)  control  of  insect  pests? 

3.  Non-perishable  products. 

How  much  increase  would  be  practicable  of  the  following  crops? 

Corn, 

Oats  or  barley, 

Winter  wheat  or  winter  rye, 

Beans. 

Are  there  any  good  reasons  why  these  crops  should  not  be  increased  to 
the  limit  of  ability  to  care  for  them? 


136 

4.  Perishable  products. 

How  much  are  we  justified  in  increasing  acreage  of  the  following  products? 
Potatoes, 
Cabbage, 
Canning  crops, 
Other  truck  or  garden  crops. 

5.  Equipment. 

Is  there  any  new  equipment,  much  needed,  as  fertilizer,  spraying  machinery, 
other  machinery,  or  chemicals? 
How  can  this  best  be  provided? 

Committee  for  Patriotic  Agricultural  Service. 

C.  S.  Wilson,  Chairman. 

J.  H.  Finley. 

J.  J.  Dillon. 

S.  J.  Lowell. 

F.  W.  Sessions. 

Seth  J.  T.  Bush. 

R.  D.  Cooper. 

M.  C.  Burritt. 

A.  R.  Mann,  Secretary. 


APPENDIX  C 

DO  NOT  FOLD!    District  Superintendent  Will  Collect  and  Deliver  to  County  Enumerator 

PATRIOTIC  AGRICULTURAL  SERVICE  COMMITTEE 

STATE  OF  NEW  YORK 


A  CENSUS  OF  THE  AGRICULTURAL  RESOURCES  OF  NEW  YORK  STATE 


April  21,  1917 

Fill  out  the  following  blank  for  all  ptacc*  of  over  three  acres  on  which  agricultural  operations  are  conducted. 
Fill  out  the  blank  for  smaller  places  if  the  agricultural  operations  require  the  time  of  one  person. 

If  part  of  the  land  lies  in  one  school  district  and  part  in  another  district  include  all  the  land  as  if  it  were  io 
the  district  in  which  the  farmer  lives. 

If  the  farmer  owns  part  of  the  land  that  he  operates  and  rents  additional  land,  include  all  of  it  in  the  report. 

The  aim  is  to  have  all  farm  land  in  the  State  reported  and  yet  have  none  of  it  reported  twice.  (Jn  cose  of 
doubt  consult  the  district  superintendent). 


Name  of  person  who  runs  the  farm 

Post  Office R.  D.. 


.Telephone™.™ 


School  District _ Township 

Does  the  person  who  runs  the  farm  own  any  part  of  it? _.. 

1.  LABOR 

How  many  hired  men  did  you  have  last  year  at  this  time? 

How  many  have  you  now? „_...„._. ___. 


..County.. 


IF  YOU  HAVE  NOT  CONTRACTED  FOR  ENOUGH  LABOR.  FILL  OUT  THE  FOLLOWING: 

Numlx- r  of  additional  help  needed  for  farm  work Dates  needed. 

Could  you  use  inexperienced  school  boys?    If  so.  how  many? 

help  needed  for  household  work Dates  needed! 

Could  you  use  school  girls? 

2.  SEED  WANTED  AND  FOR  SALE 


.Number  of  additional 


KIND  OF  SEED 

Amount  you  now  wish  to  buy 

Amount  you  now  have  for  sale 

Alfalfa 

Bushels 

Bu&lids 

Field  beans    

Buckwheat 

Corn 

Spring  wheat            .  .        

3.  SPRAY  MATERIALS  WANTED 


Give  kind  and  amount 


[137] 


138 


4.  FERTILIZER  WANTED 

If  you  are  unable  to  get  fertilizer  that  you  need,  how  much  and  what  kind  do  you  want?.. 


5.  MACHINERY 

H  you  are  unable  to  get  machinery  that  you  need,  what  do  you  lack?. 


6.  LIVESTOCK  WANTED  AND  FOR  SALE 

Number  you  wish  to  buy  Number  you  have  for  s.ile 

Dairy  cows. . . . 
Heifer  calves. . 
Breeding  ewes . 
Work  horses . . . 

Brood  sows 

Pigs ,.... 

7.  HAY 

How  many  tons  of  hay  have  you  above  the  amount  necessary  to  carry  your  stock  until  new  hay  comes? 

8.  NUMBER  OF  LIVE  STOCK  ON  HAND 

Mnres,  3  years  old  and  older u. Heifers  under  1  year  old  (to  be  raised  for  dairy  cows) _ 

C '.eKlings,  3  years  old  and  older Breeding  ewes. 

Stallions. Spring  lambs. 

Colts,  under  3  years  old._» All  other  $heep. 

Mules,  3  years  old  and  older.- Brood  sows. 

Mule  colts  under  3  years  old. .  AH  other  hogs  and  pigs 

Calves  to  be  vcalod Hens 

Bulls. Roosters 

Steers  and  beef  cattle.—............ _._...  Turkeys. ___„ -™_.« 

Dairy  cows,  2  years  old  and  older Ducks..._ _ „ 

Heifers  1  and  under  2  years  old  (to  be  raised  for  dairy  Geese 

cows) 


How  many  dairy  cows  2  years  old  or  older  were  there  on  this  farm  a  year  ago?.. 

How  many  heifer  calves  under  1  year  old  to  be  raised  for  dairy  cows  were  there  on  this  farm  a  year  ago?... 

How  many  eggs  did  you  set  or  incubate  last  year? ----- ... 

How  many  eggs  do  you  expect  to  set  or  incubate  this  year? ,__________^____— »— ~_ . 


139 


9.  TRANSPORTATION 

Arc  you  having  trouble  to  get  seed,  machinery  or  fertilizer  and  other  supplies  delivered  by  the  railroads?    If  so, 


10.  FERTILIZER 

KIND 

Tons  used  on  this  farm 
last  year 

Tons  expected  to  be  used 
this  year 

Lime              

11.  CROPS 


CROP 

Acres  grown  on  this  farm  in  1916 

Acres  you  expect  to  have  in  1917 

Corn  to  be  husked  for  grain  

Oats    

Barley                     

Buckwheat                            

Winter  wheat  »  

Spring  wheat  

Rve 

Field  beans 

Alfalfa  ,  

Other  hay           

Cabbage                         

Potatoes  

Other  "vegetables  and  garden  

Other  crops  —  give  kiod  ,  

Apples                  .                     >                                          arrrs 

Small  fruit  >  acres 

Peaches                                                               acres 

Woods  not  pastured  .                .                            acres 

Pears.  -     -  acres' 

Woods  pastured  _  ncros 

acres 
........  .ftcrcs 
acres 

Tillable  pastures                                                    nrivs 

Other'  pasture  not  in 
Tolil  'irc*v  farmed 

:ludcd  above  ncrcs 

Vineyard 

rims 

uo 


12.  FARM  POPULATION 

Number  of  your  eons  who  have  left  the  farm  for  work  other  than  farm  labor?. 

Number  of  your  daughters  who  have  left  the  farm  to  live  in  villages  or  cities?. 
Do  not  include  these  in  the  table  below. 


Persons  Living  or  Working  on  This  Farm 

If  members  of  the  family  are  away  at  school,  or  otherwise  temporarily  away,  but  will  be  home  for  work  this 

',  include  their  names. 
The  desire  is  to  have  all  persons  living  on  farms  enumerated  but  have  no  persons  listed  twice. 


NAMES 

Age 

Sex 

Married  or  unmarried 

Farmer  and  his  family 

Hired  help  and  their  families 

141 

A  blank  printed  on  yellow  paper  was  used  for  the  summary  of  each  school 
district,  exactly  similar  to  the  preceding  with  the  exception  of  the  heading, 
which  read  as  follows: 

DO  HOT  FOLD!    District  Superintendent  Will  Collect  and  Deliver  to  County  Enumerator 

PATRIOTIC  AGRIOJLTORAL  SERVICE  COMMITTEE 

STATE  OF  NEW  YORK 


A  CENSUS  OF  THE  AGRICULTURAL  RESOURCES  OF  NEW  YORK  STATE 

April  21,  1917 


SUMMARY  FOR  SCHOOL  DISTRICT  NO. 

County Town ,        ._    _       .,    .„ 

Teacher       "Diet.   Supt 

Toe  teacher,  with  the  aid  of  her  pupils  and  others,  is  to  add  the  records  for  the  different  farms  and  make 
out  this  summary  sheet.  Each  addition  should  be  made  twice.  It  is  best  to  have  one  person  add  the  results  and 
have  another  person  add  them  again  for  a  check. 

Number  of  farms  in  school  district . 

Number  of  farmere  who  owa  part  or  ali  of  their  farms 


A  blank  printed  on  pink  paper  was  used  for  the  summary  of  each  county, 
similar  to  the  preceding,  but  with  the  following  head: 


PATRIOTIC  AGRICULTORAL  SERVICE  COMMITTEE 

STATE  OF  NEW  YORK 


A  CENSUS  OF  THE  AGRICULTURAL  R2SOURCES  OF  NEW  YORK  STATE 

Anril  21.  1917 
SUMMARY  FOR—  COUNTY 


Number  of  school  d-.stricte  reporting _ 

Number  of  farms  in  county 

Number  of  farmere  who  own  part  or  all  of  their  farmi 


APPENDIX  D 

REPRINTS  OF  "  THE  ANNOUNCER,"  A  WEEKLY  POSTER  BULLETIN 

(PLEASE  POST) 
May  8,  1917  No.  1 


THE   ANNOUNCER 


NEW  YORK  STATE  FOOD  SUPPLY  COMMISSION 

FOR  PATRIOTIC  AGRICULTURAL  SERVICE 
Agricultural  Hall,  Albany,  N.  Y. 


TRACTORS  TO  INCREASE  TILLAGE 

Twanty-two  tractors  have  be£n  purchased  and  options  taken  on  forty 
more.  These  Trill  be  operated  under  the  supervision  of  the  Commission's 
County  Representative  at  cost  of  operation. 

SEED  POTATOES 

Thirty-five  cars  of  seed  potatoes,  (25,000  bushels)  have  been  purchased 
for  county  organizations  by  the  Commission's  agent  sent  to  Maine  for  that 
purpose.  Several  cars  are  now  being  bought  daily.  The  Commission  acts 
as  a  purchasing  agent  and  is  not  distributing  seed  free.  This  seed  is 
available  in  small  quantities  through  our  county  representatives. 

BUCKWHEAT  AND  CORN  SEED 

Supplies  of  buckwheat  and  early  corn  seed  are  being  located.  If 
you  cannot  secure  what  you  need,  see  our  county  representative. 

UNUSED  LAND 

Every  acre  of  good  land  should  grow  crops  this  year.  Vacant  and 
unused  lands  are  being  listed  with  the  Commission,  which  will  attempt 
to  secure  their  use  for  local  farmers  or  by  those  seeking  opportunity 
to  farm. 

TRANSPORTATION  TROUBLES 

Railroad  officials  are  heartily  cooperating  to  secure  prompt  deliveries 
of  delayed  seed,  fertilizer  and  agricultural  machinery,  realizing  that 
greater  food  production  is  the  most  essential  war  measure  at  the 
present  moment.  If  your  shipments  are  unduly  delayed,  give  our  local 
representative  the  name  of  shipper,  route,  date  shipped,  oar  number, 
etc.,  or  write  direct  to  our  Albany  office. 

FARM  BOYS  AT  WORK 

A  small  army  of  Farm  Cadets  is  already  in  the  furrows.  Three 
thousand  boys  have  been  released  from  high  school  and  are  at  work- 
on  their  home  farms  and  1300  are  working  on  other  farms.  The  Delhi 
school  of  agriculture  has  established  a  Training  school  for  city  boys 
who  wish  to  enlist  as  Farm  Cadets. 

Application  for  entry  as  secand-ctau  nutter  at  the  post  offlc*  «t  Albany.  N.  Y,  pending. 

[142] 


(PLEASE  POST) 
May  15,  1917  No.  2 

THE   ANNOUNCER 

OF  THE 

NEW  YORK  STATE  FOOD  SUPPLY  COMMISSION 

FOR  PATRIOTIC  AGRICULTURAL  SERVICE 
Agricultural  Hall,  Albany,  IM.  Y. 


COUNTY  ORGANIZATION 

The  New  York  State  Food  Supply  Commission  has  opened  offices  in 
every  agricultural  county  in  the  State.  In  41  counties  having  organized 
Farm  Bureaus  these  offices  are  with  the  Farm  Bureaus.  In  the  other  15 
counties  temporary  offices  have  been  established  at  places  already 
announced  in  the  press  and  OB  posters.  Branch  labor  bureaus  have 
been  established  in  each  of  the  offices,  and  farmers  may  apply  there  for 
information  as  to  where  to  get  labor,  seed,  and  other  needed  supplies. 

HOW  TO  GET  FARM  LABOR 

Secure  application  blanks  from  the  County  Representative  of  this 
Commission  see  above  .  Fill  these  blanks  out  carefully  and  return  them 
to  his  office.  If  he  is  unable  to  secure  such  labor  locally,  he  will  forward 
his  orders  to  the  offices  of  the  State  Employment  Bureaus  and  to  the 
Central  office  of  this  Commission.  At  its  New  York  offices  this  Commission 
has  many  applications  from  Scandinavians,  Hollanders  and  Danes,  and 
sometimes  from  Germans,  who  have  had  practical  farm  experience.  We 
also  have  applications  from  married  men  of  these  nationalities  whose 
wives  can  do  housework  or  assist  in  milking  and  similar  outdoor  work, 

BUCKWHEAT  SEED 

The  Commission  has  purchased  two  carloads  of  buckwheat  which  will 
be  sold  at  cost  to  communities  which  cannot  secure  it  through  regular 
dealers  at  reasonable  prices.  More  will  be  purchased  if  necessary. 

SEED  CORN 

Requests  are  being  made  for  seed  corn.  If  you  need  corn,  barley, 
buckwheat,  or  other  seed,  and  cannot  secure  it  locally,  make  known 
your  wants  to  our  County  Representative,  AT  ONCE.  He  must  have 
definite  orders  that  he  may  know  what  amounts  are  needed. 

CONTROL  OF  INSECTS  AND  DISEASES 

The  Commission  is  organizing  a  corps  of  trained  men  who  will  act  as 
a  patrol  for  detecting  unusual  injury  by  insect  pests  and  plant  diseases. 
They  will  take  measures  for  the  immediate  suppression  of  any. unusual 
outbreaks,  and  will  aid  communities  In  the  operation  of  potato  sprayers 
and  other  means  of  control  which  are  known  to  be  practical  and 
profitable. 

Application  for  envy  »  t«con<l-cla»  m*U«r  «t  tb«  pott  offlc«  it  Albany.  N.  Y.. 


144 


MAY   31,  1917  No.  3 

THE   ANNOUNCER 

or  THE 

NEW  YORK  STATE  FOOD  SUPPLY  COMMISSION 

FOR 

PATRIOTIC    AGRICULTURAL    SERVICE 

Published  Weekly. by  the  Department  of  Agriculture,  State  of  New  York 
AGRICULTURAL  HALL,   ALBANY,  N.  Y. 


EMERGENCY  CROPS  AND  ROTATIONS 

Grain  crops  are  high.  Hundreds  of  old  pastures  should  have  been 
broken  up  years  ago,  cropped  a  year  or  two  and  reseeded  to  pasture 
grasses.  This  is  true  of  many  old  meadows.  The  high  price  of  grain  now 
justifies  this. 

The  following  plans  are  proposed: 

1.  June   1.    Buckwheat  and  Rye. 
Plow  now  and  sow  buckwheat. 
Follow  buckwheat  with  rye. 

Use  300  pounds  acid  phosphate  with  rye. 
A  good  time  to  apply  lime  if  land  is  sour. 
Reseed  to  pasture  grasses  (or  timothy  for  hay). 

2.  July    1.    Rye  on  Pasture  or  Meadow  Sod. 
Plow  after  haying  and  fit  for  rye. 

Use  300  pounds  acid  phosphate. 

Sow  back  to  pasture  grasses  for  pasture  or  timothy  for  hay. 

3.  July  15.    Rye  and  Clover  Rotation. 

Legumes  are  needed  now  to  reduce  grain  feed  bill. 

Break  old  pasture  or  meadow  for  rye. 

If  lime  is  needed,  add  2  tons  ground  limestone. 

Sow   to   clover   next  spring  using  Red  Clover  5  pounds*   Alsike   3 

pounds  per  acre. 
This  rotation  can  be  kept  up  several  years  and  improve  the  land 

constantly. 

The  above  suggestions  have  the  following  merits: 

1.  Buckwheat  and  rye  are  both  reliable  crops  and   can  be  pro- 

duced with  the  minimum  of  labor. 

2.  Old    pastures    and   meadows  will  be  greatly  improved  by  the 

change.    In  fact,  this  is  the  only  practical  way  of  improving 
run  down  pastures. 

3.  The  change  can  be  made  as  a  temporary  measure,  to  meet 

present  emergency,  without  permanently  disorganizing  the 
farming  system. 

4f  you  are  unable  to  secure  buckwheat  or  other  seed,  call  upon  the 
County  Representative  of  this  Commission. 

(PLEASE  POST) 


145 


THE  AGRICULTURAL  CENSUS  OF  NEW  YORK 

A  summary  of  the  agricultural  census  conducted  by  the  Commission 
ti' rough  the  school  system  of  the  State,  has  just  been  published.  A  copy 
will  be  distributed  to  every  farmer  reported  by  the  census  and  others 
may  obtain  the  bulletin  upon  application  to  the  Commission  or  its  County 
Representative. 

Anioniv  the  conclusions  of  the  census  are  the  following: 

INCREASED    FOOD    CROPS    IN    NEW    YORK 

•The  intelligent  way  in  whicii  New  York  farmers  have  responded  to 
the  demand  for  more  food  is  shown  by  the  following  comparisons  with 
the  acreage  eight  years  ago.  The  total  area  of  crop?  is  practically  the 
same  as  it  was  eight  years  ago,  but  there  are  over  770,000  less  acres 
of  grass.  This  area  has  been  added  to  the  area  of  grains,  fruits  and 
vegetables.  In  eight  years  the  bean  acreage  has  increased  138  per 
cent,  wheat  45  per  cent,  fruit  35  per  cent.  Never  before  have  so  many 
acres  of  intensive  crops  been  grown  in  New  York." 

IS  THERE  DANGER  OF  OVERPRODUCTION? 

"Some  farmers  have  feared  overproduction.  This  fear  might  be 
justified  were  it  not  for  the  conditions  in  Europe.  All  of  Europe  is 
approaching  famine  conditions,  and  there  is  no  chance  that  farmers  of 
Europe  can  give  the  care  necessary  for  the  production  of  the  best 
crops.  Large  quantities  of  food  are  being  lost  at  sea.  The  world's 
reserve  of  food  is  probably  the  lowest  in  history.  The  grain  on  farms 
in  the  United  States  on  March  1  is  700,000,000  bushels  below  last  year. 
The  quantity  in  elevators  is  much  short  of  last  year.  The  wheat  crop 
that  has  just  been  harvested  in  New  Zealand,  Australia  and  Argentine 
is  estimated  at  only  70  per  cent  of  last  year's  crop.  The  winter  •wheat 
of  the  United  States  is  in  poor  condition. 

"  If  as  low  yields  of  grains  should  occur  this  year  as  occurred  in  1901 
conditions  would  be  very  serious.  If. we  get  as  good  crops  as  in  1912, 
which  -were  the  best  in  twenty  years,  there  would  be  no  chance  of  low 
prices  for  grains." 

POTATOES 

"The  potato  acreage  to  be  planted  in  New  York  State  in  1917  is 
383,840  acres  which  is  77,181  acres  greater  than  in  1016,  27,840  acres 
greater  than  in  1915,  but  more  than  7,000  acres  less  than  in  1909  as 
indicated  by  the  last  federal  census.  To  offset  this  increase  and  since 
grain  will  undoubtedly  be  high,  it  would  seem  that  potatoes  will  likely 
be  used  as  a  substitute  and  thus  benefit  from  the  high  price  of  grain. 
The  safe  policy  •would  appear  to  be  to  increase  the  grain  acreage  in 
preference  to  the  acreage  of  perishable  products." 


JUNE  9,  1917  No.  4- 

THE  ANNOUNCER 

OF  THE 

NEW  YORK  STATE  FOOD  SUPPLY  COMMISSION 

FOR 

PATRIOTIC    AGRICULTURAL    SERVICE 

Published  Weekly  by  the  Department  of  Agriculture,  State  of  New  York 
AGRICULTURAL  HALL,  ALBANY,  N.  Y. 


146 


JUNE  22,  1917  No.  5 

THE  ANNOUNCER 

OF  THE 

NEW  YORK  STATE  FOOD  SUPPLY  COMMISSION 


PATRIOTIC    AGRICULTURAL    SERVICE 

Published  Weekly  by  the  Department  of  Agriculture,  State  of  New  York 
AGRICULTURAL  HALL,  ALBANY,  N.  Y. 


STATE  CONFERENCE  ON  FOOD  PRO- 
DUCTION 

A  conference  of  representatives  of  all 
branches  of  New  York  agriculture  will  be  held 
by  the  Commission  at  Syracuse,  July  5th  and 
6th,  for  the  consideration  of  the  problems 
facing  the  New  York  farmer  in  the  present 
food  crisis.  This  conference  will  advise  the 
Commission  as  to  what  it  should  undertake 
towards  increasing  food  production  and  de- 
veloping better  means  of  marketing  and  dis- 
tribution. As  a  basis  for  its  discussion  the 
Commission  invites  the  opinion  of  organiza- 
tions of  farmers  and  business  men  as  to  the 
problems  most  urgently  demanding  considera- 
tion. 

UNUSED  LANDS 

A  survey  of  the  unworked  agricultural  lands 
of  the  State  is  being  made  by  the  county  rep- 
resentatives of  this  Commission.  Information 
as  to  ownership  and  acreage  of  all  unworked 
land  should  be  supplied  by  all  interested  per- 
sons to  the  Commission's  county  representa- 
tives. 

TRACTION  POTATO  SPRAYERS 

The  Commission  is  in  a  position  to  loan  a 
limited  number  of  traction  power  potato 
sprayers  to  groups  of  responsible  farmers  who 
are  so  organized  as  to  satisfy  the  Commission 
of  their  ability  to  assume  responsibility  for 
one  of  these  machines  and  assure  us  of  its 
efficient  local  management.  The  machines 
are  placed  only  through  'representatives  of 
this  Commission,  and  such  associations  must 
in  all  cases  be  approved  by  our  county  repre- 
sentatives. 

POWER  DITCHING  MACHINES 
Three  power  ditching  machines  will' be  pur- 
chased and  loaned  this  season  to  those  farm 
bureau  associations  who  offer  evidence  df 
having  secured  the  largest  guarantee  of  ditch- 
ing. This  guarantee  together  with  the  ability 
of  such  association  to  make  the  most  efficient 
use  of  said  machine,  will  constitute  the  basis 
for  our  final  placing  of  these  power  ditchers. 


FARM  LOAN  FUND 

Reports  on  the  operation  of  the  Patriotic 
Farm  Loan  Fund,  up  to  and  including  June 
i4th,  indicate  that  a  total  of  approximately 
$250,000  has  been  loaned  to  2,500  farmers  of 
the  State  in  amounts  averaging  one  hundred 
dollars  each.  Forty  thousand  acres  of  food 
crops  which  would  not  have  otherwise  been 
planted  will  be  grown  by  these  loans. 

A  new  circular  to  loan  committees  under 
date  of' June  ist  advises  that  a  second  install- 
ment of  these  loans  is  now  available  and  may 
be  used  to  pay  labor  needed  for  caring  for 
crops  already  grown.  For  information  con- 
cerning this  fund,  address  Patriotic  Farm  Loan 
Fund,  Utica,  N.  Y. 

REPORT  FARM  LABOR  WANTED 
Farmers  are  urged  to  inform  the  county 
representatives  of  this  Commission  AT  ONCE 
as  to  the  number  of  farm  hands  required  during 
July  and  August,  the  exact  dates  on  which 
the  help  will  be  wanted,  and  just  what  the 
work  is>the  terms  of  employment,  and  the  wages 
to  be  paid. 

The  Labor  Division  has  received  applica- 
tions from  a  number  of  women  willing  to  assist 
at  house  work  on  farms  during  July  and  August. 
Some  of  these  declare  their  ability  and  willing- 
ness to  help  at  the  lighter  farm  tasks.  Farmers 
wishing  to  secure  female  help  to  assist  during 
harvest  should  make  application  immediately 
to  their  county  representative, 'giving  full  de- 
scription of  the  kind  of  service  which  will  be 
required. 

FARM  CADETS  AT  WORK 
The  Military  Training  Commission  reports 
that  over  10,000  farm  cadets  are  now  at  work 
on  New  York  farms.  The  Education  Depart- 
ment has  announced,  "Boys  who  have  enlisted 
for  farm  service  and  who  get  school  credit  are 
expected  to  continue  in  service  through  the 
summer  unless  good  reasons  are  presented 
for  withdrawing  from  -  service*.  We  expect  to 
cancel  credits  granted  to  '  slackers.'  " 


JUNE  29,  1917 


147 


THE   ANNOUNCER 


No.  6 


NEW  YORK  STATE  FOOD  SUPPLY  COMMISSION 

Published  Weekly  by  the  Department  of  Agriculture,  State  of  New  York 
AGRICULTURAL  HALL,  ALBANY.  N.  Y. 


BUCKWHEAT  AND  RYE 

The  present  high  price  of  grain  and  great 
demand  for  bread  grains  justifies  New  York 
State  farmers  in  again  returning  to  a  larger 
production  of  cereals. 

Buckwheat  and  rye  can  be  more  easily  and 
extensively  cultivated  in  this  State  than  any 
other  cereals,  for  the  following  reasons: 

1.  They  will  produce  a  fair  crop  on  several 
million  acres  of  land,  such  as  old  pasture  and 
meadow  land  that  would  not  be  suitable  to 
other  crops. 

2.  They  can  be  grown  at  the  minimum  cost 
of   labor — very  simple  preparation  that  can  be 
fitted  in  when  other  work  is  not  pressing. 

3.  There  is  a  long  season  when  either  crop 
can  be  sown;  buckwheat  from   June  first  to 
the  middle  of  July,  and  rye  from  August  first 
to  the  end  of  October. 

The  labor  of  fitting  the  ground  and  seeding  can 
be  better  arranged  without  disturbing  other  farm 
operations,  than  for  any  other  cereal  crops. 

OLD  PASTURES  AND  MEADOWS 

There  are  millions  of  acres  of  old  pastures 
in  the  state  that  for  years  fanners  have  realized 
should  be  broken  up,  fanned  a  year  or  two  and 
reseeded  to  good  pasture  grasses  These  pas- 
tures are  poor  because  they  were  never  sown 
to  pasture  grasses.  They  were  generally  first 
sown  to  timothy,  and  when  too  weedy  and  poor 
were  turned  into  pasture. 

Now  is  the  time  to  break  them  up,  and  re- 
seed  to  a  good  pasture. 

Old  meadows  need  the  same  treatment. 
Never  a  better  opportunity  for  this,  than  for 
the  next  year  or  two  while  the  price  of  grain 
is  high. 

FERTILIZER 

Use  a  little  fertilizer  on  old  pasture  or  meadow 
land?  It  generally  pays  well.  At  present  prices 
200  to  300  pounds  of  acid  phosphate,  or  better 
still,  phosphate  with  2  to  3  per  cent  of  nitrogen. 

E.  G.  MONTGOMERY, 
Department  of  Farm  Crops, 
N.  Y  State  College  of  Agriculture. 


FOOD  CONSERVATION  PLANS 

A  program  for  food  conservation  at  the  point 
of  consumption  has  been  mapped  out  by  the 
Conservation  Division  of  the  Food  Supply  Com- 
mission and  has  met  with  the  approval  of 
Governor  Whitman. 

The  plan  provides  for  the  following: 

1.  Placing  of  women  food  conservation  agents 
in  each  county  and  in  each  city  of  the  state. 

2.  Instruction  by  experts  on  the  proper  selec- 
tion, preparation,  and  substitution  of  foods. 

3.  New  methods  of  preparation  of  rice,  corn, 
barley,  buckwheat,  rye,  oats,  and  millet  to  take 
the  place  of  meat. 

4.  Enlistment   of  women   of   large   practical 
experience  for  community  demonstrations. 

METHODS  OF  WORK 

By  demonstrations  in  preserving,  in  home, 
community  and  commercial  drying,  and  by  pre- 
paring and  sending  out  information  and  bul.etins 
on  the  cost  of  home-prepared  and  commercially- 
prepared  foods,  as  well  as  on  the  various 
methods  of  preservation  of  the  nutritive  value 
of  foods,  it  is  hoped  by  the  Commission  that 
much  will  be  accomplished. 

County  food  conservation  agents  will  meet 
groups  of  leaders  in  counties  and  will  bring 
before  them  programs  for  food  conservation  and 
present  plans  for  local  organization.  In  co- 
operation with  specially  selected  committees 
in  the  larger  cities  of  the  state,  and  with  the 
cooperation  of  all  women's  organizations  work- 
ing for  food  conservation,  programs  are  being 
worked  out.  This  work  is  already  in  prog- 
ress in  Albany,  New  York,  Utica,  Rochester, 
Syracuse,  Buffalo  and  Elmira.  The  work  is 
under  the  immediate  direction  of  Commissioner 
A.  R.  Mann,  of  the  State  College  of  Agriculture. 


ARE  yOU  EATING  CORN  BRUD' 
DOWBII1    HELP  FEED  OUR  ALLIES! 


148 


JULY  13,  1917  No.  7 

THE  ANNOUNCER 


OF  THE 


NEW  YORK  STATE  FOOD  SUPPLY  COMMISSION 

Published  Weekly  by  the  Department  of  Agriculture,  State  of  New  York 
AGRICULTURAL  HALL.  ALBANY,  N.  Y. 


Be  a  loyal  New  Yorker  and  talk,  study,  and  practice  thrift.    Be  proud  to  be  known  as  a  thrifty 
woman.    "  Make  saving,  rather  than  spending,  your  social  standard." 

r~TT"1ACKLE  your  job  as  a  patriotic  duty.    The  world  needs  food.    Are  you  using  more  than 
[_   you  n«ed?    Are  you  waiting  any  food  by  throwing  away  left-overs?    Do  you  store  your  food 
in  such  a  way  that  it  never  spoils?    Are  you  using  some  cheap  substitutes  for  expensive 
foods?    Do  you  ever  waste  food  by  careless  cooking? 

HELP  train  yourself.  Tell  others  of  your  successes  in  thrift.  Teach  those  who  know 
less  than  you  do.  Take  food  saving  seriously.  Enlist  at  once  in  the  army  for 
food  conservation. 

RESOLVE  to  save  on  food  expenditures:  by  using  less  meat  and  cheaper  cuts,  and  more 
milk,  cheese,  fish  and  nuts  in  place  of  meats;  by  using  more  cereals,  especially  corn  prod- 
ucts, oatmeal  and  rice; by  using  some  dried  fruits;  by  using  the  cheaper  vegetables  such  as 
turnips,  carrots  and  greens;  by  omitting  some  luxuries. 

INQUIRE  diligently  as  to  the  best  and  wisest  ways  of  economizing.  Do  not,  for  example, 
if  you  omit  meat  on  some  days,  expect  starch  to  replace  it.  Use  milk,  cheese,  b??ns  or 
peas,  eggs,  or  fish, 

FREE  yourself  from  fcod  prejudice.  Sirloin  steak  may  taste  good,  but  it  must  be  as  cheap 
as  19  cents  a  pound  if  it  is  to  supply  body-building  food  (protein)  as  cheaply  as  milk  at  8 
cents  a  quart.  One  quart  of  ™\\k  builds  as  much  body  tissue  as  7  ounces  of  sirloin  steak. 
Cease  to  say  "  don't  like  "  or  "  can't  eat." 

TRY  definitely  to  eliminate  waste. 
MILK :    Do  you  use  even  the  last  quarter  cup?    Do  you  use  buttermilk,  sour  milk,  and 
skimmed  milk?    Do  you  make  cottage  cheese  out  of  left-over  milk? 

FATS:  Do  you  save  every  bit  of  bacon  fat,  beef  fat  and  other  fats?  Do  you  know 
how  to  use  mutton  fat? 

BREADSTUFFS:  Do  you  store  cereals  and  flour  so  that  insects  cannot  get  into  them? 
Do  you  u&e  left-over  crusts  and  stale  bread?  Is  your  bread  always  good?  If  not,  do  you 
know  why  not?  Do  you  scrape  out  you/miiing  bowls  thoroughly? 

FRUITS :    Do  you  let  any  spoil?    Do  you  know  how  to  can  all  kinds? 

VEGETABLES :  Do  you  know  how  to  store  them?  Do  you  buy  more  than  you  care 
to  use  so  that  some  wither  or  spoil?  Do  you  throw  away  the  water  in  which  they  are 
cooked  instead  of  using  it  for  soups?  Do  you  let  cooked  left-overs  spoil?  Do  you  pare 
carefully  so  as  not  to  waste?  Do  you  know  how  to  can  vegetables? 

MEATS:  Do  you  store  carefully  to  prevent  spoiling?  Do  you  ever  over-cook  meat 
and  so  waste  it  by  making  it  inedible?  Do  you  use  more  than  you  need?  Do  you  save 
and  use  all  trimmings,  bones  and  fat?  If  your  family  numbers  five,  do  you  buy  3  quarts 
of  milk  before  you  buy  i  pound  of  meat? 

NOTE:  The  foregoing  thrift  program  was  prepared  by  Helen  Knowlton,  Dean  of  Women, 
New  Hampshire  College  and  Experiment  Station,  and  published  as  a  press  bulletin  by  the 
College. 


YC  35080 


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